


Patchwork Heart

by MissLiveByThePen



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anger, Complete, Dating, Dating Omega With Children, Debt, Divorced!Omega, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Failed Dreams, Falling In Love, Fear, Finding Happiness in Life, M/M, Mentions of miscarriage, Mentions of past abuse, Mentions of past child abuse, Mildly Dubious Consent, New Beginnings, OC Parents - Freeform, Omega Verse, Post-Divorce, Swimming, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-04-10 14:56:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4396280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLiveByThePen/pseuds/MissLiveByThePen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year ago, Arthur never expected to find the strength to leave his alpha and take his children across the country for a new life. A year ago, Alfred never expected to be bankrupt and forced to return to his hometown to work in his parent's company. </p>
<p>Neither expected their paths to cross at a local swimming pool, nor did they expect the unbelievable joy their meeting would bring to their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bachelor's Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> I'm using Jett for Australia's name in this story. 
> 
> Louis Jones Williams - OC omega father
> 
> George Matthew Williams - OC alpha father

The shrill sound of a whistle being blown greeted Arthur Kirkland as he stepped into the pool area of the Williams-Jones Family Aquatics Center. He was a bit surprised at the sudden ruckus, because the usual lifeguard, a lovely alpha named Matthew, never used the tool while working with the children. Arthur made sure of it, because his youngest son, Peter, wasn’t very fond of loud noises. Jett, his eldest son, couldn’t care less about noises, but his baby was too used to slamming doors and raised voices. A sharp sense of shame and disappointment filled Arthur’s chest for just a moment before he squashed them down. To deny those feelings he shifted his thoughts towards anger. Here was yet another alpha that seemed to enjoy breaking promises to Arthur and his children. Maternal instincts rose up in the omega like a furious lion and he stomped over to the shallow end of the Olympic-sized pool to give Matthew a piece of his mind. 

Of course, as he rounded the edge of the pool, Arthur froze in place as he realized his children, and the rest of the class, weren’t being taught by Matthew. He’d heard that Matthew had a young brother, but he never thought he would meet the man. Louis seemed rather adamant that his son refused to return home. The absent member of the Williams-Jones family had been away at school getting his MA in business, if memory served Arthur correctly. Curiosity would certainly kill the cat as Arthur slipped into a pool chair to watch this unfamiliar alpha. 

“Okay kiddos, we’re going to pretend we’re fish,” this blue-eyed, blond alpha cheerfully said as he stood to his full height at the end of the pool, “On the count of three we’re going to hold our noses and sit in the water and blow bubbles.” Most of the children were barely taller than the 3 feet of water and sitting on the bottom of the pool would cover their heads. Arthur certainly hoped this stranger watched his children closely. “Remember, make really big bubbles so the fish can hear you in the ocean.” 

As the alpha counted down up to three and the multitude of little heads disappeared beneath the water, a gentle hand pressed to Arthur’s shoulder and startled him with a jolt. “Oh,” Arthur exclaimed, blushing hotly as he peered up into the smiling amethyst eyes of the co-owner of the aquatics center, Louis Williams. “I’m so sorry Louis. You startled me.”

“No, no, I’m sorry, Arthur. I shouldn’t have come up behind you.” Louis Williams was a kind omega that rarely said a cross word to anyone involved in his business. His mate, George Williams, and his eldest son, Matthew Williams, owned one of the best aquatics centers in Virginia. Not only did they boast one of the only Olympic-size pools in the region, but they offered classes in several aquatic sports. Matthew was a notoriously good water polo player, and George held certification in scuba diving instruction. Louis tended to the accounts and held water aerobics classes in the morning. The short omega, with the thick wavy blond hair ran the place with an iron fist hidden behind a soft smile. His boys knew to listen to him, or risk his quiet wrath. 

It was the large sense of family that brought Arthur and his children to the business. After fleeing from Missouri, a difficult marriage, an unforgiving family, and very few job aspirations, the omega wanted to give his children stability in Virginia. His eldest son, nine-year-old, wild-eyed, wonderfully stubborn Jett, and his sweet four-year-old, Peter, begged him for weeks to sign them up for swimming lessons. They were so close to the ocean now that it was cruel to not take them one weekend. Of course, he wanted to make sure they were safe, because he couldn’t swim well enough to save them if they ran into trouble. Before the end of the school year, he relented on signing them up. He hadn’t regretted his decision yet. His children were making friends, and he was learning to step back into society. 

“I shouldn’t be such a nervous nelly.” Arthur insisted, chuckling as he wiped a bit of perspiration off his forehead. It was a slight reprieve from the hot summer sun, but the humidity inside the pool area was a bit too much for the omega. Especially considering he was still wearing his work clothes. 

“You look like you’re about to faint. I can’t have that happening.” Louis fretted; clucking his tongue as he carefully took the younger omega by the arm to guide him into a much cooler room behind them. It turned out to be the omega’s office and the wonderful air conditioning was turned on full blast. There was a singular window overlooking the pool, which Louis helpfully supplied a chair for Arthur to sit. “I know you like watching your babies,” the omega helpfully supplied as he grabbed a bottle of water off his desk to take a refreshing sip. “I’m guessing you’ve met our new swim instructor?” Louis mentioned lightly with a strange gleam in his lavender eyes. 

“To be honest, I thought it was Matthew. I nearly yelled at the poor lad for using the whistle. Peter, well, he has such sensitive ears.” Arthur mumbled, blushing as he listened to the older omega giggle at his mistake. “I’m assuming he is your younger son?”

Louis nodded his head, looking every bit the proud mother as he grabbed a picture off his desk to show Arthur. The framed photo held a side-by-side comparison of two blond haired little boys. Their faces were nearly identical, but the lavender eyed boy was just a half-centimeter taller than the blue eyed boy. The picture on the right was older and showed the smiling boys in a kiddie pool, while the picture on the left showed a new picture with the same smiling boys grown-up. “Yes, that’s my Alfred out there. He graduated at the end of last May with his Master’s degree in Business. It’s funny,” Louis mentioned with a ghost of a smile, “he always said he would never come back here. It was too ‘small town’ for him. Now he’s becoming a partner in the family business and picking up the youth swimming classes. I’m rather proud of him.”

Arthur smiled too, because he couldn’t deny the happiness he felt for one of the kind people who helped him after he first arrived in town. After his divorce was settled and his bonding mark removed, the distraught omega packed his children up and drove until the car broke down. It was Louis’ mate, George that found the sobbing, terrified omega stranded with his slumbering children at the local diner. The alpha had been so kind to them and took them to a hotel to wait for their car to be repaired. It was in this town that Arthur planted new roots. With his money from the divorce settlement, he managed to purchase a small, cozy house in the countryside and his past experience as an office clerk landed him a nice desk job at the police station. Everything felt normal for the first time since Jett was born. He would raise his children in a place where screaming and infidelity wasn’t an issue. They would be happy and safe. “I’m glad he’s home for you. I’m sure it’s nice to have a full house again.”

“Completely hectic is a better word,” Louis joked, shaking his head as he watched Alfred show the children how to hold onto the side of the pool and kick their little feet hard enough to create large splashes. “I hate to admit it, but he’s better than Matthew with the kids. I hope you didn’t mind that we switched them out,” the light haired omega turned to Arthur with a bit of worry inching across his face, “I know you’re uncomfortable with the boys around unfamiliar alphas, but I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

“It’s fine, Louis.” Arthur insisted, smiling as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched Alfred carefully hold Jett’s stomach as he assisted the older boy with swimming. Though it looked like his attention was divided, the alpha never took his eyes off the six other children kicking their feet along the siding of the pool. “It’s obvious the boys like him, or Peter wouldn’t have gotten in the water.”

Louis let out a sigh of relief, “you know, Arthur, he is single and obviously good with children. He’s always had a thing for cute accents too. I’m not a bragging man, but I made a pair of good-looking alphas.”

Arthur’s face blossomed pink as he struggled to find the proper words to reply to the smiling man beside him. He finally settled on stammering out the omega’s name and shaking his head. “You can’t just say stuff like that, Louis! Besides, two kids and a messy divorce is baggage very few young, attractive alphas want in a potential date.”

“So you agree he’s attractive?” Louis asked, laughing as the omega buried his face in his hands with a soft groan. “Okay, okay, I’ll leave you alone, Arthur, but you do need some adult interaction beyond me.” He reached over to pat Arthur’s shoulder. “You’re only twenty-five, Arthur. You don’t need to wither away in solitude.”

Arthur was highly uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation and greatly appreciated the end of the hour. He wished a concerned-looking Louis a good evening before slipping back into the pool area to collect his boys. Peter saw him first. His big, blue eyes widened almost comically as he wrapped his towel around his shoulders and raced to his mother. Well, he would have, if Alfred hadn’t held a hand out in front of his body to stop him. “Whoa, little dude. We don’t run in the pool area because it’s dangerous. You might trip or hurt your Momma.”

Arthur couldn’t deny the fact that Alfred was attractive. Even in the rather conservative swim trunks and t-shirt, the American had well defined muscles in his chest and arms. His strong jaw and smiling blue eyes only added to his attractiveness. “Listen to your instructor, Peter.” Arthur managed to stammer out, his cheeks pink as the alpha locked eyes with him. There was no sense in letting the attractive alpha get to him. Arthur was just another client, no matter what Louis inferred otherwise. A young, attractive alpha didn’t want someone like him. “We haven’t had the opportunity to met, I’m Arthur Kirkland. Jett and Peter are my sons.”

“I figured,” Alfred drawled with a smile on his face as Jett walked over to stand beside his brother, “they’ve both got your eyebrows.” He laughed at his own joke, awkwardly trailing off when the omega in front of him didn’t find his observation funny. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Alfred held his hand out, “I’m Alfred F. Jones. I know Mattie..err..Matthew used to teach this class, but I’ve taken it over since I returned home. Don’t worry, I’m certified in everything I need to be certified in and I’ll keep a close eye on those two. I’ll have them swimming like sharks before too long.” He winked at the boys, chuckling as they returned a set of bright, matching smiles. Goodness, they even got their mother’s pretty smile. Alfred had seen the omega speaking with his mother and that smile might have caused his heart to skip a beat. He scolded himself for mixing business and pleasure. 

Arthur was just a tad upset about the eyebrows crack, but he found himself easily forgiving the alpha. Rude jokes or not, he seemed genuinely concerned with the well being of his students. Arthur would let it slide just this once. “It’s nice to meet you, Mister Jones. I have no fear you’ll take good care of them.” Peter whined and tugged on his trouser leg. Distractedly, Arthur lifted the child into his arms and situated him on his hips. God, his child was getting far too heavy to carry like this. “My only concern is the whistle. Loud noises startle Peter and I’d prefer if you didn’t use it.”

“Please, call me Alfred.” The alpha insisted, not wanting to sound like a stuffy old man. He was only twenty-three, after all. Alfred thought about the request before nodding his head in understanding. “That’s fine. He seemed okay with it today, but I can work out another way to get their attention.” A new set of kids walked over, happily sitting on the edge of the pool as they waited on their instructor. Alfred hated to leave in the middle of a conversation with such a pretty omega, but his next class was soon to start. He walked over to ruffled Jett’s brown hair and cutely ‘bump’ fists with Peter before smiling at their mother. “It was nice to meet you, Mister Kirkland. Maybe we’ll convince you to get into the water next time? Jett said you couldn’t teach them because you can’t swim either, but the boys are quick learners, so I’m positive their mother is too.”

Surely the alpha wasn’t flirting with him? No, Arthur had been out of the game entirely too long. Alfred was just being friendly. “If you insist on being called Alfred, then I insist on being called Arthur.” When he heard his son being so open with a stranger, Arthur’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he looked down at his blushing son. His children really did like this alpha. The pink blush even darkened the scar running across his boy’s nose. A permanent reminder of their previous life that he wished he could erase. “Maybe if you end up being as good of a teacher as you boast, we’ll see.” With Alfred giving him another wink, the omega carefully ushered his family to the lockers to grab their bags. Peter was worn out by the evening’s activity and moodily refused to walk to the car. He wanted to be carried despite Arthur’s weakening grip on his hips. That started Jett complained loudly that he was hungry and he wouldn’t be placated with the promise of homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Arthur tended to burn them and his son never let him forget it. Even when his boys were being unreasonable and moody, he never, ever wished for silence. He liked hearing their endless chatter. It wasn’t that long ago that he lived underneath an alpha that demanded silence from mate and children. Arthur never wanted to force his children to be quiet again. 

“Mummy,” Peter called, tugging Arthur’s collar when his mother didn’t respond immediately. “Mummy!”

“Shut-up, Peter!” Jett shouted, green eyes glaring at the young child hogging their mother’s attention. “Mum is not paying you any attention.”

Almost instantly, Peter’s blue eyes filled with tears as he kicked his feet towards his older brother. Arthur barely had time to shift his body to keep Peter’s feet from connecting with Jett’s head. “Stop, both of you.” He scolded, gently tapping Peter’s legs. “No kicking, Petie. Mummy will put you in timeout when we get home. Apologize to your brother.” He flicked his eyes down to the smug-looking little boy sticking his tongue out at his brother. “And you, no yelling at your brother. I don’t need help disciplining him. Apologize, loves, or there will be no story time tonight.”

Begrudgingly, both boys mumbled out an apology. Jett even sweetly hugged Peter’s legs as he apologized for yelling at him. They truly did have Arthur’s heart. Smiling at his boys, Arthur unlocked the car and buckled them into their seats. 

He never expected his new life to feel so natural. 

(Later that night…)

“How’d the under ten class go today, Al?” Matthew asked his brother as the twenty-three-year old alpha scraped the scraps of their food into the dog’s food bowl. Kumajiro happily wagged his tail before chowing down on the brisket. “Alfred?” He called again, leaning his hip against the counter as he watched the younger alpha scratch the large white dog behind his ears. Rolling his eyes, the Canadian grabbed a wet washcloth and tossed it at his brother’s head. 

“Ack!” Alfred gasped, groaning as he grabbed the washcloth and threw it right back at his older brother. “Fucker! I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“Yeah, I can tell.” Matthew goaded, chuckling as he jumped up to sit on the countertop. “You’ve been quiet all afternoon, what’s up? I mean, this is your first week home in almost six years, and you haven’t said a word since supper.” Something was bothering his brother, but he didn’t know what it was. Best to goad him until he said something. “C’mon, Alfie, how was your first day on the job?”

Alfred shrugged his shoulders, mostly ignoring Matthew as he dropped the plate into the sink for a good soak. “It’s exactly like it was in high school, Matt.” The alpha looked like the picture of frustration as he placed his feet on top of the table and glared at the opposite wall. “I was gone, bro. I have a good degree from a good school, but I’m back in this Podunk town. I’m good at this, but it’s not challenging. It’s monotonous. Mom should have let me join the military.”

“You wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in boot camp.” Matthew said without missing a beat. He understood that his brother was frustrated with his circumstances, but he had to make the best of it. Alfred always wanted something bigger than their hometown, so having to come back home must have wrecked havoc on his confidence. Alfred would need to find his happiness, or he would make everyone around him miserable. “You’ve got to make the best out of it, Al. Maybe after you’re back on your feet you can get an apartment or something.” 

“Maybe.” Alfred mumbled as he grabbed his glass of sweet tea to take a long gulp. He didn’t want to think about his ruined dreams in Hawaii. He didn’t want to think about the layers of debt and the embarrassing memory of having to ask his parents for financial help to keep him from declaring bankruptcy. “I guess today wasn’t really that bad. The under ten group was fun.”

“Yeah? That’s my favorite group.” Matthew really enjoyed seeing those kids enjoy learning how to swim. The infant class was fun, but it usually involved new alpha fathers glaring at the back of his head as their babies and mates played in the water. 

“I think they’re going to be my favorite group too.” The younger alpha lazily swirled the last swallow of his tea around the bottom of his glass. “I…Arthur Kirkland came to pick up his kids today, Jett and Peter. Is he mated? I couldn’t see a ring or a mating mark, but we both know that doesn’t mean anything. He’s kinda cute, so I was just wondering.”

Matthew sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. It was a nervous habit that he hadn’t been able to break. “Arthur’s…he’s divorced, and it wasn’t a very happy marriage. Dad found him and the kids almost a year back. Their car broke down and they just sort of stayed here.” The older alpha hopped down to finish washing the remaining dishes. “I know he’s cute, Al, but going after him is a big commitment. Don’t follow that path unless you’re mature enough to handle that kind of a relationship.” 

Alfred sighed, rolling his eyes as he finished off his tea. “I’m not a child, asshat. I just think he’s cute.” He stood up and walked over to the sink to drop his glass into the soapy water. “Don’t forget to let your bear out. Lord knows he’ll probably eat us in our sleep if he’s not happy.”

“Kuma is not a bear, asshole.”

“Love you too, bro!”


	2. Friendship Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks have passed since their initial meeting and they're about to make a crucial step in their relationship. Arthur refuses to let his past dictate his present, but Alfred's weighed down by his past failures. Luckily, the heart knows what the mind does not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful reviews and kudos! I'm thrilled to reach every single one of them.

It was nearing three o’clock in the afternoon when Alfred realized Arthur hadn’t picked his sons up after their weekly lesson. The under-ten class had been over for nearly an hour and the children were dutifully sitting on a pool chair waiting for their mother. Luckily, they weren’t fighting, but Peter looked a little distressed as he kept looking back to the front door each time it opened. Each time it wasn’t his mother, the little boy looked even more upset, which only succeeded in irritating his brother. 

Over the past few weeks, the alpha had taken an interest in connecting with the Kirkland family. He liked the kids, but he really liked Arthur. He never thought he would be attracted to another person after his lackluster dating life. Alfred had a difficult time dating in high school because he didn’t want something to tie him down to his hometown. He wanted a clean break after high school. During college, he was too focused on school to worry about finding a partner. In fact, it wasn’t until he finished his master’s degree and moved to Hawaii that he began seriously dating. 

Unfortunately, he hadn’t made very good decisions in his dating life in Hawaii and that caused his eventual downfall. He went into business with his boyfriend at the time, but the beta hadn’t been very interesting in keeping the business running. He’d been more interesting in stealing money and pushing Alfred further into nearly sixty thousand dollars worth of debt. ‘Al’s Burger Shack’ had been a success in the beginning, but bad management, inconsistent food, and theft ruined the American’s dream. After selling his condo, the business, and a few personal belongings, he managed to raise enough money to pay off half his debt. He was forced to ask his parents for the other half. 

It was this terrible experience that brought him back home. He wasn’t happy about it, but he barely had ten dollars in his bank account and nowhere to live in Hawaii. The only bright spot in his life was the fact he made smart decisions in paying off his student loans. He was a smart man and managed to get most of his school paid for through grants. The little bit left over was paid within the first good year of business profits. His parents welcomed him back with open arms, but the alpha was ashamed of his failures. He was twenty-three-years-old and right back in the same job he had when he was seventeen. 

Alfred knew he had a part in the business, but the shame of taking thirty thousand dollars from his family never left his mind. He wanted to pay them back and the only way he could do that was to teach swimming lessons during the summer until he found a better job. Who knew, maybe he could revive ‘Al’s Burger Shack’ in town? 

All of that darkness in his life lightened just a little during his chats with Arthur. Not only had the omega been through a dark time in his life too, he was still able to smile despite his past. Alfred admired that trait in the man. Not to mention, he was really cute. Alfred couldn’t explain it, but those pretty green eyes made his stomach twist in the most pleasurable ways. He wanted to date Arthur, but he knew the difficulty in dating a single parent. Maybe ‘difficulty’ wasn’t the right word. Arthur wasn’t an ‘unattached’ omega. He had to worry about bringing strangers into the relationship with his children. Even with that knowledge, Alfred wanted to be closer to the omega. He didn’t quite know what he wanted in life, but the alpha knew he desired a relationship with Arthur Kirkland and his boys. 

“Jett, Peter?” He called out to the boys still sitting on the pool chair as he walked out of the office. Little Peter gravitated to him instantly. He clung to Alfred’s leg. “Have you heard from your mother?” The alpha asked softly, trying his hardest to keep the kids from hearing the worry in his voice. 

“Did Mummy forget ‘bout us, Mister Jones?” Peter asked with his lower lip trembling with each passing second. 

Alfred instantly went into ‘damage control’ mode. The alpha scooped the whimpering little boy into his arms and swayed him until he stopped sniffling. He’d never been very paternal towards the younger kids, but he knew keeping Peter calm would keep his brother calm. “I’m sure your Mom is just stuck in traffic.”

Jett either enjoyed torturing his brother, or was a sadistic little snot. Alfred was placing his money on both, because the brunette took a good, long look at his little brother and laughed. “Mum probably left because you won’t stop crying every five minutes. I’d leave you too.”

“Mummy didn’t leave us!” Peter shouted, full on sobbing now as he thrashed violently in the alpha’s arms. “You’re mean, Jett! Mean and no one likes you!” The little boy decided fighting against Alfred’s hold was too much for him and went limp as he loudly cried into his hands. 

Alfred stood there with his mouth open like a gapping fish before his wonderful mother appeared from the office to see what all the commotion was about. “What’s going on out here?” Louis asked as he glanced between the three in front of him. Since it was obvious Peter needed the most attention, and that Alfred was way over his head, the omega carefully pulled Peter into his arms to carry him into the office to calm down. “You handle Jett,” Louis ordered his son, letting the door close behind him with a soft click. 

Alfred struggled to find a set of stern words to give the boy in front of him, so he settled on using the same tactic his father used on him when he was a brat. “You really hurt your brother’s feelings, Jett. You’re supposed to be his big brother and protect him. Making him cry isn’t protecting him.” Shame was always a good teacher and it seemed to work as a blush worked across Jett’s face. 

“He’s always so whiney.” Jett mumbled underneath his breath, crossing his arms at his chest. “Mum won’t forget ‘bout us. Mum loves us and would do anything for us. He’s said it a thousand times.”

The little boy was so sure of his words that he puffed his chest out and looked up at Alfred with a challenge in his eyes. He was practically daring the alpha in front of him to contradict his words. Alfred would never deny Arthur’s love for his children, so he was sure his unexplained absence had a good reason. He knelt down in front of Jett to give him a comforting smile. “You’re right. Your Mom might just be held up. Do you know his cell phone number or his work number? I can call him to see what’s keeping him.”

Jett nodded his head, “Mum made us learn both.” 

“Awesome,” Alfred cheered, “stay right here and I’ll grab my phone.” He walked to the lockers to pull his backpack out. After wiping his hands off, he grabbed his cell phone from the front pocket and walked back to sit on the pool chair in front of Jett. “Okay, kiddo, give me the cell phone number.” Jett recited the number as the alpha tapped the numbers on his phone. When he heard the phone ringing, he placed it to his ear to listen as Arthur’s phone went straight to voicemail. Jett began to look a little distraught, but a quick ruffle of his hair had the young boy smiling again. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your Mom got held up at work. Let’s try that number.”

Once more, Jett recited a new number with a look of hope plastered to his face. If Alfred couldn’t reach the omega, he didn’t know what he was going to do. Where could Arthur be? Was he hurt? Alfred’s thoughts almost made him miss the female voice on the other end of the line greeting him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Hello, my name is Alfred Jones and I need to speak with Arthur Kirkland. Is he there?” 

“Mister Kirkland is assisting Mister Bonnefoy with the afternoon board meeting. I believer they’re almost finished…Oh!” The voice on the other end of the phone turned away from the mouthpiece to talk to someone else. Alfred patiently waited, winking at Jett as he sat on the pool chair across from him. “Okay, Mister Jones, I actually see Mister Kirkland at his desk. Let me transfer you there. Have a nice day.”

The holding music sounded from his earpiece for a few seconds before he heard the distinctly British accent float into his ear. “I apologize for the wait, this is Arthur Kirkland, and how may I assist you?” 

“Arthur?” He hesitantly asked, smiling as he heard the omega gasp softly. “It’s Alfred and I’m sitting here with Jett…”

“Fuck,” Arthur interrupted, making the alpha laugh into the phone. The sound of objects being scrambled came through the earpiece as Arthur continued mumbling curses underneath his breath. “I’m so sorry, Alfred. My boss, the absolute prat, decided we needed to decorate the boardroom and I lost track of time. Are..are my boys okay? I’m sure Peter is in hysterics.”

“Jett’s fine, and my mom is entertaining Peter.” Alfred assured the omega. He imagined a charming blush was racing across Arthur’s face as he gathered his stuff up to race over to the pool. “They’ll be fine until you get here, Arthur.”

Arthur let out a refreshing sigh; “I don’t know how to thank you for this, Alfred. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Just let the boys know I’m coming and that I’m sorry for taking so long.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alfred said with a smile on his face. “We’ll see you when you get here.” When the phone clicked off, the alpha turned to the small brunette with a comforting smile. “Your Mom will be here soon. He just got held up at work.” Placing his cell phone in his pocket, the alpha ruffled Jett’s messy hair and nudged him towards the office. “Go apologize to your brother for being mean and let him know your mother is on his way.”

Jett scampered off, leaving Alfred to clean up around the pool. Eventually, Louis brought the two boys out of the office and let Alfred put them to work stacking the pool noodles for the water aerobics class. Since Alfred tended to act more like a big kid than an adult, it was only a few minutes into the noodle stacking that Alfred grabbed one and playfully smacked Peter on the behind with it. While Jett enjoyed messing with his little brother, it seemed to Alfred that no one else was allowed to because he soon received a pool noodle to the nose. It didn’t hurt, but his pride wouldn’t let the injury stand. Grabbing two, he smacked both boys on the head. 

Their noodle stacking eventually dissolved into the three males chasing each other around the aquatics equipment area. They never noticed that the door opened and Arthur walked in to watch a majority of their antics. Hiding his laughter behind his hand, the omega finally clapped his hands to see three sets of startled eyes look over at him. “I thought running wasn’t allowed in the pool area?” 

Alfred floundered for a moment to explain that the equipment area was a different part from the pool area, but he settled for giving the omega a sheepish smile. “I’m keeping a close eye on these troublemakers.” He ruffled Peter’s hair, watching as the little boy carefully walked over to his mother and wrapped his arms around Arthur’s legs. 

“Hello love,” Arthur sweetly greeted, reaching down to lift Peter into his arms. He combed his fingers through the back of the boy’s hair as his son buried his face into his neck. “Mummy is sorry about taking so long. It won’t happen again, darling.” He held his hand out for Jett, hiding his smile as his ‘strong, stubborn’ boy walked over to bury his face into Arthur’s stomach. He nuzzled his face in his mother’s soft stomach, squeezing Arthur’s hips tightly. “Now, now,” he cooed softly, rubbing Jett’s back, “I’m here and everything is fine.”

Alfred watched the sweet family for a few moments before kicking the pool noodles into a sloppy pile. Arthur looked so natural surrounded by his children and the sight tugged at his heart. “Hey boys,” he interrupted the happy reunion, “why don’t you grab a snack from the break room. Tell Mattie I said you could, okay?” The boys nodded, wiggling from their mother’s hold and disappeared through the hallway to the break room. Alfred awkwardly stacked a few noodles before mustering up the courage to face the omega. “I…

“Thank you,” Arthur interrupted, blushing as he shifted his weight from foot-to-foot. “I’m sure they were terrified, but you kept their minds off it. I owe you big time, Alfred.”

“It’s fine, really.” Alfred insisted, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he mirrored Arthur’s stance. It was now, or never for the alpha. He’d been working up to asking for the omega’s number for weeks, but never really had the opportunity. He was sure his mother had all of Arthur’s contact information on file in the office. He even had the number in his phone after Jett called for him, but the alpha wanted that number from Arthur’s mouth. It would be a prize unlike any other. “I…I’ve been doing some thinking,” he began; hoping Arthur couldn’t hear the sound of his heart pumping so loudly in his chest. 

“Oh?’ Arthur asked, eyelashes fluttering slightly as he wrapped an arm around his lower stomach. Maybe he was reading too much into Alfred’s attention over the past few weeks, but he had noticed the alpha’s lingering looks and smiles. The American was kind to everyone, but there was a fondness in his actions. He was a handsome man, but surely he wasn’t interested in Arthur. 

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking that maybe we should exchange phone numbers.” There it was all out in the open. His cheers were blood red, but he kept a confident smile on his face. “Just…just in case I need to contact you or maybe if you wanted to…to go out sometime.”

Arthur was beyond flattered and smiled as he nervously fiddled with a stray string on the end of his shirtsleeve. It had been years since someone asked him on a date. He met his ex-husband while attending school. He’d been so young when they met and mated, but he thought their love for each other would conquer anything life threw at them. He just never imagined he’d end up with a bruised cheek on their honeymoon after he burnt the morning breakfast. Arthur never thought he would have feelings for another alpha, but this American was doing wonderful things to his heart. “Are you asking me on a date, Alfred?”

“Maybe I am,” Alfred quipped, biting his bottom lip as he began to hope. Did this mean Arthur was really thinking about telling him? “It wouldn’t be the most terrible thing in the entire world. I’m kind of a nice guy and all.”

“You certainly are,” Arthur agreed, smiling as he reached into his pocket to take out his phone. A year ago, he wouldn’t have even considered going on a date, but through therapy he was healing from his abusive marriage. He had hope for the first time in years and maybe it was time to give someone another shot at protecting his heart. Besides, even if they weren’t compatible intimately, he could always use a new friend. “Trade phones with me? I’ll put mine into yours and vice versa.”

They swapped phones and Alfred was pleasantly surprised when he checked the new contact to see a smiley face emoji beside Arthur’s name. His heart practically skipped a beat. With the smile still on his face, he slipped the phone into his pocket. “So I can text you later?”

“I would hope you’d want to after going through the effort to ask,” Arthur teased, glancing over at his boys as Louis ushered them into the pool area with chocolate chip cookies wrapped in napkins. Peter skipped over and held the cookie up to his mother for a bite. Arthur took only a small piece as he smiled at the alpha. “I’ll talk to you later, Alfred. Good night.” 

Alfred waved as the little family walked out the front door. He was on cloud nine, practically dancing around the equipment area as he stacked pool noodles. It was only his mother’s laughter that startled him out of his insanely good mood. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Louis promised, the smile still stretched across his lips. “I’m just happy to see you smile. I don’t want you to be miserable while you’re here, sweetheart.” He reached over to cup his son’s cheek with his hand, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead. “Go on home. Matthew and I will close up for the night. Tell your father that we’re eating out tonight and to wear a nice shirt.”

Alfred mock saluted his mother, winking as he handed a pool noodle over to the omega. “On it!”

(Later that night…)

“Mum! Mum!” 

Arthur sighed softly as he dropped the towel he was folding back into the laundry basket. Honestly, his children were supposed to have an eight o’clock bedtime for a reason. If they didn’t get to sleep, he’d never get his housework done. Groaning, the omega climbed the few stairs to the second story of their home and cracked open the door to the boy’s bedroom. Their house had three bedrooms, but the boys never liked sleeping apart so they shared a bedroom. If they continued fighting, though, Arthur would move one of them into the spare room. “Jett, what’s wrong?”

Jett sat in his bed with a pout across his lips as he pointed at the four-year-old bouncing on the end of the bed. “Peter won’t go to sleep and he’s not wearing his pull-up. I don’t want him to pee the bed again!”

“I don’t pee the bed!” Peter cried back, sticking his tongue out at his older brother as he plopped down on the bed with a soft gasp. “I haven’t peed the bed in weeks! Tell him Mummy.”

Arthur clucked his tongue to calm his boys down. “Shush, no more arguing.” He pulled Peter into his arms and placed him in his rightful place at the head of the bed. “Peter hasn’t wet the bed in months, Jett. Until he does, we aren’t going to worry about a pull-up. I’ll let you sleep with me if he has an accident.” He lightly reminded his pouting son, pressing a kiss to the top of the brunette’s head. Despite the fact that his sons were still squirming, Arthur pulled the blankets out from underneath his boys and tucked them in again. “Peter, it’s bed time, no more jumping on the bed.” He gave Peter his own kiss on the head, smiling as the little boy turned on his side and snuggled against his brother. Jett turned into the hold, letting Peter tuck his head underneath his brother’s chin.

Honestly, they were adorable together. His boys argued like normal brothers, but they were so sweet together. Even when they were living in Missouri with his ex-husband, Jett and Peter clung together when Arthur couldn’t protect them. He vowed to never put them in another situation like that. His heart hoped that Alfred understood the damage their little family was healing from. Arthur wanted something good for them, and maybe the alpha could patch the holes in his heart. He hummed a soft lullaby as his children finally settled down and drifted to sleep. Gently, he pressed another kiss to their cheeks and pulled away with a soft ‘sweet dreams’. 

After making sure to leave their bedroom door cracked enough for the light to spill into the room, Arthur walked downstairs to finish folding the laundry. He’d put everything up in the morning when the boys were awake. No sense in startling them as he put their clothes up. When his task was completed, the omega slipped upstairs to take a warm, relaxing shower. He made it to bed, but the overwhelming urge to double-check the locks never left his mind. Even though he hadn’t heard from his ex-husband in over a year, the fear of the man appearing back into his life never left him. So, he headed downstairs. It was only when he was double-checking the locks on the doors and turning off the lights downstairs that he heard his phone ding. 

Arthur knew who it was, so the smile that stretched across his face was blinding. He walked into the kitchen to take his phone off charge and saw Alfred’s name scrolling across his screen. His heart flopped a little inside his chest, making his knees weak. He had it bad and they’d only known each other for a few weeks. He took his phone upstairs to his bedroom, falling back on his bed to read the messages. 

From Alfred – 9:45pm  
Mattie agreed to take my adult class on Sunday morning, so, I’m free to do something if you are.

To Alfred – 9:50pm  
I’d love to do something. I’ll see if I can find someone to watch the kids.

From Alfred – 9:51pm  
Bring ‘em with you. I’ll find something we’ll all enjoy.

Arthur knew it was far too early in the relationship to say this, but he was absolutely positive he was falling in love.


	3. Duck and Ducklings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First date at the zoo shows Arthur just how sweet his date can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head-canon time: In my omegaverse stories, I'm sure you've noticed there is a lack of natures for Peter and Jett, well, I think the only nature that can be seen at birth is Alpha. They have the knot, after all. Betas and Omegas should have similar body types until puberty when the omega can have heats. I like to think Male Betas have a uterus, but it's more like an appendix. Betas and Omegas are only distinguishable at puberty and young children, unless an alpha, are nature-less.

When Alfred came to pick the family up on Sunday morning, he greeted the excited family with a bagful of doughnuts and containers of milk. Normally, Arthur would have protested such a high-sugar meal so early in the morning, but his boys were completely enamored with Alfred’s breakfast and happily dug into the offered bounty. 

“You didn’t have to bring breakfast,” Arthur mentioned as he buckled his seatbelt. Even as he said this, he accepted the offered jelly-filled doughnut from Jett, smiling as he wrapped the bottom in a napkin to keep his fingers clean. “Thank you, Alfred, for the doughnuts and for involving my boys. Not many are as thoughtful as you.”

Alfred just winked at the blushing omega as he pulled out of the driveway. “I want to get to know all of you, Arthur, and that includes the little munchkins in the backseat.” He glanced in his rearview mirror to make sure both boys were wearing their seatbelts. He wasn’t in the least bit surprised to see them happily munching on the pastries. Jett locked eyes with him momentarily before giving the alpha a large, toothy smile. Heavy warmth bloomed in his chest as he watched their happy faces. He knew he didn’t always make good decisions, but it finally seemed like he’d done something right. “Don’t tell them, but they’re totally my favorites in class.”

Arthur chuckled, nodding his head as he promised to keep the alpha’s secret. For the remainder of the car ride, the adults quietly got to know each other. Arthur stayed far away from the ‘heavy’ topics like his divorce, but he told the alpha the little details that no one ever seemed to care about. Things like his ability to sew and his dream to go to college once the boys were a bit older. He’d already mated his ex-husband by the time he graduated high school. In fact, he had a two-year-old crying in the audience when he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. His heart ached to tell Alfred about the injustices he experienced, but he didn’t feel comfortable putting that on the alpha on their first date. He stuck to safe topics. 

Alfred felt the same, to be honest. It was bad luck to talk about past failed relationships on the first date, so he steered clear of his time in Hawaii except to mention that he lived there long enough to learn how to surf. One day he hoped the aquatics center could get a large wave pool so he could teach it. He wasn’t shy about mentioning he still lived at home, but he hoped to move out before the end of the year. Mostly, he admired the way Arthur smiled when he told silly jokes and stories from his childhood. The alpha couldn’t explain it, but he wanted to see the omega happy. He wanted it more than he’d wanted anything since he returned from his failed adventures. 

As the car drove closer to the destination, both adults found a strange sense of ease between them. Normally Alfred felt like he needed to do some grand gesture to impress his date, but with Arthur he knew just paying attention and talking was enough. He felt comfortable and he could tell the omega felt the same. Alfred’s hand itched to reach across his console to take Arthur’s own, but he worried it was far too soon for that. He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. 

“So where exactly are we going?” Arthur finally asked with a sweet smile painted across his face. It was fairly obvious he was enjoying this time with the alpha. It had been so long since he was on a date and longer since another alpha paid him such undivided attention. 

“It’s a surprise, but if you’ll wait just four seconds, you’ll see.” The American chirped, grinning as he saw his exit and turned right. Sure enough four seconds later Alfred turned onto a long driveway that ran underneath a large banner proudly proclaiming their animals were the ‘happiest.’ Another few meters had another banner with pictures of smiling animals. Alfred smiled brightly as he waited for a reaction. 

“It’s a zoo!” Peter shouted from the backseat, scrambling to his knees to peer out the windows. While he couldn’t see very much besides green foliage, a few spaces in the fence allowed him to see a leg or two. “Mummy, can we go see the penguins?”

“I want to go see the snakes.” Jett insisted, hastily unbuckling his seatbelt to get a better view of the zoo entrance. “You’ll take me to the snakes first, right?”

“Shush, both of you.” Arthur chided as he turned around to calm them down. “We’ll see everything we can today, loves. I promise we’ll take you to every exhibit.” Even if he didn’t care for snakes and spiders, he knew Jett had a particular obsession with the creepy animals. He’d take his little boy even if his skin felt like it were crawling the entire time. 

Both boys were practically jumping out of their seats when Alfred finally stopped the car. “Okay, kiddos,” Alfred said as he turned around to watch the energetic kids, “we’ll get a map at the entrance and let your mother pick where we go first.” He raised his finger to his lips when they cheered, much like he did during practice and they were too loud. “No trying to sway him, kiddos. Everyone will see their favorite animal, well, except me, because my favorite animals are whales and they don’t have a big enough exhibit for whales.”

Arthur was pleasantly surprised when his boys giggled and nodded their heads in agreement. Within a few seconds, the little group had a map in hand and a set of tickets to ride the safari train later that evening. Arthur tried to protest that Alfred was spending entirely too much on them, but the alpha dispelled his worries with a quick nod towards the kids. They looked so damn happy and Alfred refused to deny them a good day while he romanced their mother. Arthur would never admit to blushing when the alpha whispered that in his ear, but he totally did. 

“C’mon Mum,” Jett whined at the omega’s feet, standing on the tips of his toes to peer at the map, “where are we going first?” His eyes were already scanning where the snake house was located and was a bit thrilled to see it was beside the alligator pen. “Mum!”

“Hang on,” Arthur soothed, combing his fingers through Jett’s brown hair. “Okay boys,” he knelt down to let them both see the map, “if we go here,” he pointed to the path to their right, “we’ll hit the primates first and then we’ll work our way to the snake house.” The look of pure joy on his oldest son’s face was enough to make his entire day.

“Sounds like a plan,” Alfred chirped happily, scooping Peter into his arms. “I bet we’ll find a little monkey that looks like Peter.” He teased the little boy as he tickled his side. When Peter finally stopped squealing, the alpha lifted him to sit on his shoulders. It would be easier than constantly picking him up to see the animals over the barriers. The four-year-old just wasn’t tall enough for most of the fences. 

“Oh, Alfred, he’s much too heavy for that. You don’t have to pick him up.” The omega stated, reaching down to take Jett’s hand as they walked towards the primate section of the zoo. Even if he didn’t say it, Alfred being so sweet to his boys made his heart shudder in the most pleasant ways. Their own father hadn’t taken the time to lift them on his shoulders or take them to kid-friendly places. 

“He’s fine,” the alpha promised, holding onto the skinny legs hung over his shoulders. “All those years of water sports gave me strong arms.” To prove this, he kept one hand on Peter’s leg and made a muscle with his other arm. “See that muscle? A hundred percent American steel.”

Arthur snorted in laughter, smacking the ‘one hundred percent American muscle’ with the palm of his hand. “I see a lot more flab than muscle there.” He tweaked the little bit of fat underneath Alfred’s muscle, watching him squawk in outrage. 

“Mum! Stop!” Jett groaned, “You’re being embarrassing!” The little brunette tugged his mother further along the path, coming to a complete stop as he found himself in front of the cage for a giant gorilla. “Whoa.” He gasped softly, dropping his mother’s hand to peer into the enclosure. “He’s huge!”

“She,” Arthur corrected as he read the plaque in front of the enclosure. “She’s ten-years-old and just had her first baby. It’s in the newborn housing on the other side of the zoo. Why don’t you come read the rest for Mum?” He carefully listened and gently corrected Jett as he read the ‘Fun Facts’ on the plaque. 

“He is right, though.” Alfred whispered as Peter squirmed to be let down. He wanted to help his brother read and the alpha lifted him up to let him run over to the plaque. “She’s huge, but she’s a pretty girl.” Before he discovered he wasn’t very good at organic chemistry, Alfred wanted to become a veterinarian or a zoologist. In all honesty, he just wanted to pick something exotic enough to get him out of his hometown. Funny, he was right back in the place he least wanted to be. 

“Are you an expert on pretty, Mister Jones?” The omega teased, bumping hips with his date as he followed after his children. Was he flirting? Maybe and it really felt good. Since the boys were bouncing from cage to cage, the adults were able to talk without the interference of little ears. Arthur had to admit he was proud of them for keeping in his eyesight. They really were good boys. 

“I wouldn’t say I was an expert or anything,” Alfred quipped, walking beside the omega as they followed after the children, “but I do know pretty when I see it. Like, right now,” he muttered softly as he reached over to tuck a strand of Arthur’s hair behind his ear, “you’re really pretty.”

Arthur’s cheeks blossomed pink at those words, but he didn’t make any effort to deny it. He wasn’t used to such sweet compliments, yet hearing them felt so good. He wouldn’t discourage the alpha when he was being so sweet. “You’re not too bad looking yourself, love.” He purred, grinning as he heard Jett call him from the snake house. He tossed a saucy wink at the alpha before slipping away to see his child standing before a zoo worker with a large snake. Arthur froze on the spot, making a soft sound of disgust in the back of his throat. “Oh, Jett.”

“Mum! Come touch it!” Jett said as he stroked his index finger down the snake’s long back. The young zoo worker carefully took explained how to hold his arms out before draping the snake along the young boy’s arms. “Mum! Mister Alfred! This is so cool.”

Alfred laughed, both at Arthur’s obvious disgust and Jett’s excitement. Since Arthur was still rather frozen in his spot, the alpha walked closer to the little boy and ruffled his hair. “That is really cool, but I think your mother is about to have a heart attack.” He winked at the giggling little boy before he took out his phone and took a quick picture of Jett and his newfound friend. After taking the picture, he grinned as another zoo worker coaxed Peter into touching the tarantula on his hand. “Hey, Art, I think you should come see this!”

When Arthur finally worked up the nerve to walk over there, he discovered there was an entire little area set up for petting the animals. Normally that would have been cute, but the various reptiles and rat-looking creatures weren’t exactly Arthur’s idea of ‘cuddly’ animals. “No, Alfred.” He said firmly, shaking his head as the American helped Jett pet a baby alligator. “Alfred! Those things are dangerous.”

“They’re safe with me, Artie.” The alpha called over his shoulder, laughing as Peter gave a full body shiver when he touched the slimy underbelly of the alligator. Jett was in heaven among the reptiles. He wanted to touch and learn about everything. It was nice to see such the bright boy so happy. “C’mon, kiddos,” he said as he watched Arthur stand far away from the reptiles, “I think your mother needs to check you over before we continue.” 

Sure enough the moment Alfred brought his children back to him, Arthur checked their hands for scratches and bite marks. He knew it was a silly fear, but he worried his children were far too adventurous for their own good. Once his children were given the green light, the omega found himself tugging Alfred’s hands into his own to give them a once over too. He only realized what he did after he dropped the alpha’s hands and caught a strangely fond look on the man’s face. He blushed for the second time that day, awkwardly coughing to clear his throat. “How about we head to see the penguins, yes?” 

Peter cheered, taking Jett’s hand as they left the reptile area to go to the penguin house. They stayed right in front of the two adults, who were awkwardly avoiding each other’s eyes. Finally, Alfred broached conversation between them. “I have to admit, I’m really surprised Jett’s not an alpha. He’s adventurous and stubborn enough to be one.” 

His children were a safe conversation, and he was instantly put at ease as they walked down the path. Arthur chuckled at Alfred’s observation, nodding his head as he wrapped one arm around his waist. “I was fairly surprised too. They were so troublesome in utero that I was so sure they were alphas.” Only alphas were easily labeled at birth, because a small knot formed at the base of their penis while in utero. As for betas and omegas, their natures were only identified after the beginning of puberty. Their organs, including reproductive ones, were all too similar to distinguish between the natures at birth. If the child was an omega, they would experience a pre-heat, but if the child was a beta, they wouldn’t experience a pre-heat. All children that weren’t alphas were essentially nature-less until they entered puberty. Neither of Arthur’s children had that knot at birth, a fact his ex-husband never quite forgave him for. “I wouldn’t have them any other way, though.”

“They’re really great kids, Art.” The alpha complimented, moving just a bit closer to Arthur as they walked into the African penguin exhibit. Apparently, Peter was the penguin expert and was talking his brother’s ear off as he told them all about the exhibit. “Even when they argue during class, they always manage to reconcile. Mattie and I were terrible to each other. Still are, if I’m being honest about it.”

“Alphas are just like that.” Arthur taunted, laughing as he jumped to the side to miss Alfred’s playful shove. The awkward moment from before was almost completely forgotten. “I really can’t see you and Matthew arguing. You work too well together at the aquatics center.”

“We have a mother that threatens us with bodily harm if we embarrass him.” The American admitted sheepishly. His cheeks turned a bright red as the omega laughed at him. His mother was a scary man when provoked. Louis Williams might seem like a big teddy-bear, but he could turn into a fierce lion in seconds. “To be honest, Matt’s my best friend, but don’t tell him. He’ll never let me live it down.”

“Mummy,” Peter interrupted as he skipped over to tug on his mother’s trousers, “I can hear the train! We can’t miss it.” The little boy held his arms up for Arthur to lift him up. His son was getting heavy and the omega doubted he could carry him through the rest of the park. Luckily, the train depot was beside the next path. 

The little group climbed into the train with the adults posted at opposite ends of the compartment to keep little feet and hands in the train at all times. As the safari train started chugging down the track, Jett craned his neck around Alfred to see the zebras racing across the grasslands. Alfred remembered the frustration of being too small to see anything around his parents, so he carefully shifted to allow Jett to climb into his lap. The alpha carefully wrapped one arm around the boy’s waist to stabilize him as the train rocked along the track to stop at the lion’s den.

“Look at the cub, Petie.” Arthur pointed out softly, index finger showing his son where the pride of lions was lounging. He really liked the layout of the zoo. The ‘Safari’ train was an excellent idea and he was glad Alfred insisted they take it. He’d have to remember to thank the man later. 

“So cool,” Peter gasped, catching Alfred’s attention as he turned to see the little boy had climbed into Arthur’s lap too. “Look at the lion cubs, Mister Alfred.” He pointed across the savanna at the cubs wrestling each other under the watchful eye of their lioness. 

“That’s really cool, buddy. Did you see the cubs, Jett?” The alpha cooed, scooting a little closer to Arthur to peer to the other side. When the train started chugging again, Alfred just found no real reason to scoot away from his date. The children were content pointing out the various animals to the adults, and the adults were content just listening to the excited babbling. 

Just as the train rolled into the elephant area, a large female elephant close by let out a loud sound, startling the entire train. Arthur’s hand jolted across the space separating him from Alfred and he grabbed the alpha’s hand until his heart stopped trying to jump out of his chest. The kids loved it, of course. They clapped for the elephant while Arthur just laughed at his own silliness. Loud noises startled him more than he would like to admit. 

When the train stopped for a better look at the elephants, the omega became very aware of the fact that he was holding hands with Alfred. He didn’t know if he should pull his hand away, but he could feel the alpha glancing over at him as each second passed without one of them moving. He really liked holding the American’s hand. Hesitantly, he adjusted his grip to intertwine their fingers, smiling as he hid his blushing face into Peter’s hair. 

Instead of saying anything, the alpha simply squeezed Arthur’s hand. Alfred was so ridiculously happy that he barely registered when the Safari train pulled back into the station. Regretfully, he had to release Arthur’s hand to climb off the train, but the moment his feet were back on the ground, his date’s hand was waiting for him. With the children skipping in front of them, the two adults swung their connected hands through the rest of the zoo. If the boys noticed or cared, they didn’t say anything. They were more worried about seeing all of the animals and racing each other down the paths. 

By the time evening came, both boys were practically asleep on their feet. “I think we wore them out,” Alfred muttered as he knelt down to lift Jett into his arms to carry him to the car. There was no sense in making the stumbling boy walk to the car. Arthur already had the slumbering Peter in his arms, patting his back as they walked to the exit. The boys had been running nonstop since lunch, so Alfred wasn’t surprised they were down for the count so easily. He shifted Jett to coax the boy into wrapping his arms around his waist so he could grab his keys to unlock his car. Once the car was unlocked, he carefully opened the door and placed the sleeping boy inside. 

“For now, at least.” Arthur corrected as he placed Peter beside his brother in the backseat. “I’m sure they’ll be up and ready to go come suppertime.” With his children taken care of, the omega slipped into the passenger seat with an exhausted sigh. “Next time we chose something indoors, like a movie or laser tag.”

Alfred laughed as he started the car up and backed out of the parking spot. “I think I can manage that.” He reached across the console, just like he wanted to early that morning, and took Arthur’s hand in his own. “I’m guessing this means you’ll be okay with a second date?”

Arthur squeezed the alpha’s hand, smiling as he turned to look at the man. “Yeah, Alfred. I’d love to go on a second date with you.” He had no reason not to. Alfred got along so well with his children and the omega couldn’t deny the attraction to the alpha. His heart pulsated in the most unusual ways around that sunny smile and those baby blue eyes. He was falling so hard. 

The smile that stretched across Alfred’s face was blinding and it didn’t go away even as he drove the little family back to their house. Since the boys were still slumbering in the backseat, the alpha offered to carry Jett into his bedroom. Soon enough both boys were curled together and sleeping their exhaustion away. When the door was closed, Alfred quietly walked downstairs with Arthur. They hovered by the door, neither really knowing what the proper protocol was for their first date. 

Arthur decided to be the brave one. “Thank you for today, Alfred.” He said with a soft smile on his face. “Not only did I have a great time, but you involved my boys. That’s…that’s the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time.” He exhaled softly, chuckling as he combed his fingers through his messy hair. “I..I really enjoyed our date. I look forward to more.”

Alfred’s cheeks were a bright pink, but he nodded his head in agreement. “I had a good time too. I’m really looking forward to our next date. Maybe…maybe in a few weeks I can take you somewhere fancy and get Mattie to watch the kids.”

“I’d like that.” Arthur admitted, gnawing on his bottom lip as he stepped a bit closer to the alpha. It was strange, but he wanted Alfred to kiss him. He tilted his face up just a bit, peering at the alpha through his eyelashes. “I’ll see you later?”

The alpha nodded, licking his lips as he peered down at Arthur. A moment passed between them before he leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to the omega’s forehead. He stepped back to admire the pretty blush across Arthur’s cheeks. “Sweet dreams, Art.”

Yeah, Arthur was falling fast for the handsome alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The attention this story is getting has blown me away! Gah! Thanks guys, you all rock my socks off. By the way, if anyone is wondering, the chapter headings are all quilt patterns. I thought myself rather clever.


	4. 3D Bow Tie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dating for several weeks, Alfred decides it is time to take Arthur somewhere fancy. Not only does he need to prove he has class, but both men have a little soul-searching to do as their pasts unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of past abusive behavior

(Alfred’s House)

“Look at Alfred! Hot damn!” Matthew catcalled from the kitchen as he spied his brother walking across the living room in his only tailored suit. The light grey color worked so well with his eyes, and he even managed to pair it with a nice white, patterned shirt. The light grey suit jacket was thrown over his arm, because the American would wait until the last second to put it on. The alpha looked really good in such a classy outfit. The thing that made it better, though, was the bright smile across his brother’s face. For the first time in a long time, Alfred was happy to be home. Matthew would need to thank Arthur for rekindling that fire in his little brother. “Another date with Mister Kirkland?”

“Stop being so damn embarrassing.” Alfred groaned as he adjusted his tie to lie in the middle of his chest. He’d gone with a light green tie as a sweet homage to Arthur’s pretty green eyes. He double-checked his hair in the mirror in the living once more before glancing over at his brother. “If you must know, yes, I’m taking Arthur to 'Sakura' tonight. He mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to go, but Peter is too young to go to such a fancy place.”

Matthew grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, popping the cap and drinking down the cool liquid. With a refreshing sigh, he tilted his head over at his brother. “How’d you manage that? 'Sakura' has a three-month waiting list.” 

“Kiku owed me a huge favor.” The alpha strolled into the kitchen as he slipped his suit jacket on, and adjusted the buttons. When he finally got them to button right, Alfred let out a long, cleansing sigh. He’d never been so nervous before. “I wanted tonight to be special. It’s our first date without the kiddos, and Arthur deserves a little pampering for one night.”

Matthew just chuckled as he walked over to help adjust his brother’s tie. “You’ve never been able to do this right.” He scolded playfully, smoothing his hands along the alpha’s chest to sort out the lapels. “Everything’s going to be fine, Alfie.” He insisted as he reached up to pat his brother’s cheek. “You’re growing up so fast.” 

Alfred groaned in embarrassment, reaching to smack his brother just as the man dodged his swing. “You’re the worse, Matthew.” He shook his head as he adjusted his jacket again. “Are you sure it looks fine? I…I don’t want to look like a hobo.”

“You look fine, Alfred. Arthur’s not going to be able to take his eyes off you.” Matthew promised again, walking to the key hook to grab his brother’s keys. He tossed them at the man’s head. “Go on before you’re late. Arthur hates tardiness.”

Alfred caught the keys with a bright grin before disappearing out the front door. 

~~~~

(Arthur’s House)

“No, no, that doesn’t match.” 

“What is this? Oh, eww, no.”

“I can’t even fit in these trousers. Why are they in my closet?”

“No, just, no.”

Jett and Peter sat on their mother’s bed with identical looks of confusion on their faces. Helping him find something to wear started off fun, but their mother slowly devolved into tossing outfit after outfit onto the floor. Both boys decided it was a smart idea to let him work it out himself, least they be caught in the crossfire. 

“Is Mummy going crazy?” Peter asked quietly, kicking his feet as they dangled over the edge of the bed. He’d never seen his mother act so weird. It was a little unnerving, and he wanted to hug the man. Something told him that he wouldn’t appreciate a hug while he was preparing for his big date. Peter didn’t quite know what a date was, but it made his mother smile so he assumed they were happy occasions. 

“I don’t think so.” Jett decided as he watched his mother finally find a suitable outfit. “Mum doesn’t look like he’s going crazy. Crazy people have hair all out here,” he waved his hands around his head to show his little brother what he was talking about. “Mum’s hair is normal, and he only talks to himself sometimes.” 

“Oh.” Peter whispered, chewing on the nail of his thumb until Arthur turned around to chide the boy. 

“Don’t bite your nails, love. It’s a nasty habit.” Arthur scolded, walking over to place his outfit on the bed. He managed to find a light brown pair of trousers with a vest to match with his blue tie. His shirt wasn’t anything fancy, just a regular white button-down. Yet, the colors complimented his skin tone and hair color. He looked remarkably well, and the vest hid the little bit of fat around his stomach that he never quiet managed to lose after his last pregnancy. “Why don’t you two go watch for Alfred’s car while I get dressed, okay? Make sure your backpack is packed for Feli’s house.”

The boys took off to watch for the alpha’s car, making their mother smile as he watched them leave. Honestly, they were such good boys. Without an audience, Arthur donned his chosen outfit and spent several minutes combing over his appearance in the mirror inside his closet. He looked great. Even if his waistline was bloated and his face a little round, the omega had to admit he hadn’t lost any of his good looks. He reached up to adjust the Windsor knot in his tie, laughing as his fingers shook. It was strange to be so damn nervous. 

He was just going on a date with Alfred to an exclusive, expensive restaurant. Nothing special, right? Arthur sighed happily as his cheeks turned a soft pink color. They’d been dating for a few weeks now, and it appeared they were getting serious. Alfred made time to bring him lunch, or even pick the entire family up for an outing. So far they’d been to the zoo, an arcade, and even a children’s museum in the next town over. Every time Alfred did something special for him, Arthur felt his heart beat a little faster as he found himself falling in love with the American. He never thought he would fall in love again. 

“Mum!” Jett’s voice called upstairs. “Mum! Mister Alfred is here!” 

“I’m coming down, Jett.” Arthur responded, chewing on his bottom lip as he ran his hand through his hair one last time. His hair never did lay down right, and he could see the light scar running underneath his chin from one of his ex-husband’s episodes. No, he’d gone through enough therapy to know he shouldn’t focus on those ugly reminders of his pain. He didn’t let his eyes linger on that little imperfection, but he focused on the overall picture he made. Arthur Kirkland was handsome, cute even, and he was a strong, independent omega. No one could steal his thunder. 

By the time he made it downstairs, Alfred was greeting the boys with small bear hugs. Damn, the alpha looked amazing. Arthur wasn’t unfamiliar with the sight of the alpha in a pair of swim trunks, but hot damn, he looked great in a suit. Arthur hesitated for a moment at the bottom of the stairs before clearing his throat to make his presence known. Nearly instantly, the entire room melted away until all Arthur could focus on was Alfred’s gaze. Those deep blue eyes pinned him in place, and a spark of lust traveled up his spine as the alpha discreetly raked his eyes up the omega’s body. 

“You look amazing.” Alfred finally spoke, breaking the spell between them as he waited for the kids to run into the living room before pulling Arthur to his chest. He couldn’t get over how cute Arthur looked in his suit. Alfred didn’t feel sharp arousal often, but Arthur managed to send his control into a tailspin. He placed a light kiss on his date’s cheek, stepping away as Peter ran back into the foyer. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide his affection for Arthur, no, that was far from the truth. He wanted to respect the fact that Arthur hadn’t ‘officially’ told his boys they were dating. He was positive they knew something was up, but it wasn’t his place to change their routine. He wasn’t their father, even if he did carry a lot of affection for the two little rascals. 

Arthur laughed, ducking his face to hide the blush across his cheeks. He was unsuccessful, of course. There was no hiding the blush after such a sweet kiss. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He winked at his date as Peter held up his backpack for Arthur to slip on his shoulders. “I’m almost ready to go, love. I have to take the boys next door. My neighbor, Feliciano, is watching them for me. Your mother offered, but Feli and his mate are expecting their first child. They wanted the experience.”

“It’s fine,” Alfred promised as he combed his fingers through his untamable hair. “Want me to help walk them over, or wait in the car?”

“Would you wait in the car?” Arthur asked as he grabbed his mobile phone from the foray table. His boys knew his number to call if they needed him. He would drop everything to get to his children. “Feli never lets a new acquaintance leave without a bellyful of snacks.”

“I’ll have to come back to visit Feliciano another time, then.” The alpha teased, winking at the giggling boys as he opened the door for them. “See you two later.” He told the boys, waving as he headed towards his car. From the driver’s seat, he had a perfect view of Arthur knocking on his neighbor’s door and a pregnant omega welcoming the boys inside. 

It took a few minutes for Arthur to convince Feliciano that he didn’t want to come inside, but eventually he managed to sneak away. He slipped into the passenger’s seat, grinning as he felt the alpha’s hand reach across the console to grasp his own. 

Yeah, they were going to have a good night. 

~~~~~  
(Sakura)

“I’m fairly impressed you managed to get us such a private table.” Arthur informed the alpha as a young waiter led them through the restaurant to a semi-private area in the back. Their hands were no longer clasped tightly together, but Alfred’s arm was wrapped intimately around his date’s waist. Arthur hadn’t stopped blushing since the alpha stepped beside him without the intention of letting go anytime soon. 

“I’m a little offended you doubted me, Art.” Alfred muttered back, grinning happily as their booth was shown to them. He slipped into the booth before patting the seat beside him. He knew from past conversations that Arthur was uncomfortable with being unable to easily ‘escape’ from the table. They were slowly opening up to each other and revealing their pasts. Arthur’s ex-husband liked to box him in at restaurants and pinch his thigh as a punishment. “I keep my promises.”

Arthur laughed as he slipped into the booth beside the alpha. He even snuggled close to Alfred’s side when he thought the alpha wouldn’t notice. “You certainly do.” He mumbled, picking up the menu to scan the food. “I’m just surprised. From what I’ve heard, your culinary expertise includes hamburgers and milkshakes.” During their last ‘lunch’ date, Alfred told him about his restaurant in Hawaii, and even a little bit about his ex-boyfriend. Arthur even shared some of the milder experiences with his ex-alpha. 

“Hey! That’s not nice. Al’s Burger Shack was the bomb.” Alfred tickled Arthur’s side until the omega smacked him with the menu. Alfred took the opportunity to steal the menu from his date and hold it open so they both could look at the food. Arthur was right, after all. He didn’t have much experience with anything on the Sakura menu. He chewed on his bottom lip as he let his head rest on Arthur’s shoulder. Maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew. “So what looks good to you?” 

The omega hummed as he trailed his finger down the printed words. “This place is known for their seafood and Japanese fusion food.” Arthur loved trying new cuisine, but his children were a bit picky. “We could start with a calamari appetizer.”

“That’s the octopus, right?” Alfred asked with a slight, disgusted wrinkle of his nose. Surely Arthur didn’t expect him to eat octopus?

Arthur snorted in laughed, shaking his head. “Squid, actually.”

“That doesn’t make it better, baby.” The alpha whispered, still slightly put off at the thought of eating any kind of wiggly sea creature. Tentacles made him uncomfortable. Yet, Arthur looked so excited at the thought of having calamari that the alpha decided to give it a try. Well, he always said he would try anything once. “I guess I’ll try it.” 

“I think you’ll like it.” Arthur promised, turning to press a quick peck to the alpha’s cheek. “If you don’t, then more for me.” 

Alfred wanted to roll his eyes, but the sweetness of that kiss made him smile. “I’ll hold you to that,” he mumbled into his date’s hair, inhaling the musky scent of his shampoo. He expected Arthur to smell like lavender or flowers, but the omega tended to smell more like a forest after a rainstorm. He only moved away from holding Arthur so closely when their waiter returned to take their drink and appetizer order. 

They each ordered a glass of wine, which was promptly brought to their table along with their appetizer. Arthur didn’t drink often, mostly because he had a low tolerance for the stuff. Yet, it felt almost inappropriate to not have a drink while he was cuddled close to Alfred in a fancy restaurant. Not that they were all over each other, but they were rather close. Arthur liked it too much to move away. With the calamari cooling on the table, the omega picked up a piece of fried squid and dipped it into the sauce. He offered the delicacy to his date. “Want to try it?”

“I’m still not too sure about eating tentacles.” Alfred always had been stubborn about his food. He didn’t branch out as often as he would like to. 

“It’s not tentacles, silly. It’s the body of the squid.” The omega giggled before popping the offered squid into his own mouth. If Alfred wasn’t going to eat it, then he would. He reached for another, once more offering the fried meat to the alpha. “Just once, please, for me?”

Alfred glanced at the offered food before opening his mouth and taking a big bite. He chewed slowly, trying to take in the flavor. After a few minutes he realized it wasn’t half bad. In fact, he rather liked the flavor. He peeked over at Arthur’s expectant face, grinning sheepishly as he reached for another piece. “It’s not bad at all.” 

Arthur cheered, laughing as he watched the alpha’s face turn pink. He could get used to seeing that. 

~~~~  
After the adventure of the calamari, dinner ended up being a quiet affair for both men. Arthur decided on a lovely peppered-seared tuna while Alfred dined on a mixture of fried rice and teriyaki chicken. Once their dishes were cleared away and the bill paid, the two sat underneath the low lighting and just talked. It was their first ‘serious’ date without the children, so they were able to discuss things they didn’t want little ears to hear. 

For the first time, Alfred actually opened up about his life in Hawaii and the betrayals he experienced there. Arthur’s hand never left his as he sadly explained the anger of catching his lover with the embezzled money and the embarrassment of not discovering it sooner. “For the longest time, I told myself that I should have been more attentive. I could have stopped it. Maybe I should have been home more or maybe I should have tried harder.”

“No,” Arthur squeezed his hand tightly, shaking his head as he looked into the alpha’s baby blues, “if you think like that, you’ll never let it go. You’ll never heal.” He let out a long sigh before steadying his chin. They were mostly alone in the back of the restaurant, so no one could hear their conversation. “I used to think that after he would hit me.”

“Arthur,” Alfred whispered sadly, wanting to stop the omega, but knowing this was something he needed to do. 

The omega smiled in appreciation, but continued with his story. “I would have broken ribs, bruised cheeks, and even fractured bones, but I kept thinking there was something I was doing wrong. The kids weren’t quiet enough. They weren’t alphas. They weren’t smart enough. I wasn’t good enough. The house wasn’t clean enough.” Arthur snapped his eyes shut as he felt tears well up. No, he wasn’t going to cry over that man again. He braved a half smile when he felt Alfred’s gentle fingers comb through his hair. “But, I learned that all those things were a lie. We were too good for him, and now I get the great experience of watching them grow up into good, strong men. No matter what nature they are, or if the house is filthy, I’m going to make sure my boys know love.” He reached up to take Alfred’s hand. “You didn’t have the problem, Alfred, he did.”

Alfred softly squeezed the omega’s hand. “You’re the bravest person I know, Art. Here I am bitching about some dick taking money from me, but you’ve suffered so much. I can’t imagine how much pain he caused you. You got yourself out of there and made a damn good life without him.”

“We’re not trying to measure our misfortune against each other,” Arthur joked, easily resting his head on Alfred’s shoulder. “We were both wronged in terrible ways, just different ways. I think you’re the bravest person I know, Al.” He waited for the cocky ‘yeah’, but it never came. The alpha’s eyes were wide with disbelief so the omega continued. “You managed to start all over after being cheated out of your dream. Even though it was embarrassing, you returned home and one day, you’ll have that dream again.”

God, Alfred wanted to kiss Arthur after that little speech. In fact, he leaned in to kiss those pink lips, but a clock on the opposite wall stole Arthur’s attention. It was nearly eleven o’clock. While Feliciano did plan to keep the boys the entire night, Alfred and Arthur had work the next morning. With a disappointed sigh, the alpha knew it was time to call it a night. 

Oh well, at least he could give him a ‘goodnight’ peck on the cheek. 

~~~~

After a quick trip to the bathroom, and an even shorter car ride, Arthur found himself standing at his front door with a bit of a dilemma on his hands. Alfred was halfway through his regular ‘farewell’ ritual, and the omega realized how much he wanted the American to kiss him. Alfred always made sure to peck his cheek or forehead before leaving, but Arthur wanted a kiss right on the lips. He was almost positive the alpha planned to give him one at the restaurant, but the timing had never been right. 

So, when Alfred stepped forward to kiss his cheek, the omega stood on the tips of his toes to wrap his arms around the alpha’s neck. Arthur wasn’t waiting another week for a proper kiss. He tugged Alfred down, molding their lips together until the alpha took the hint and wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist. When their lips touched, it felt like he was floating off the ground. Of course, that could have been Alfred lifting him up to get a better angle to deepen the kiss a bit. 

Arthur finally felt his feet touch the ground after such an explosive kiss, and grinned sheepishly up at the alpha. He hadn’t been so forceful the entire time, so he hoped Alfred wasn’t too put off. He quietly unlocked his door and slowly stepped inside. “Sweet dreams, love.”

The return smile was absolutely breathtaking as Alfred cupped his chin and gave Arthur another kiss. “Goodnight, baby.” He muttered before turning to walk to his car. 

Arthur shut the door with a wild grin on his face. 

Maybe it was love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your kind reviews! They truly make me smile! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Crown and Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months have passed with the love between Alfred and Arthur blooming quickly. Autumn brings even more romance, and Alfred a better understanding of the role he needs to play in Arthur's life.

“I think this was a good idea. I don’t think the boys have ever fallen asleep so quickly,” Arthur whispered as he carried two steaming mugs of hot chocolate onto his back porch. The warmth of the porcelain felt so good against his hands. The autumn chill came a bit early this year, and it left the Omega scrambling to tug blankets and quilts out of storage. A few of those thick quilts were currently sprawl underneath a small tent in the backyard where his sons were curled together fast asleep. He’d have to make due tonight without the extra blankets on his bed. Being an Omega, it was a bit harder for him to keep warm during the winter. Of course, he had a rather handsome American alpha to warm him up if he needed it. As quietly as he could, to keep from disturbing the boys, he placed the mugs on the patio table, swatting Alfred’s hands away when he reached for the mug. “It’s still hot, darling.”

“That’s kind of the point of hot chocolate.” Alfred quipped cheekily, grinning as Arthur flicked his nose. He reached up to rub the spot, pouting until he received a tiny kiss on his injury. Their love blossomed over the summer, and remained steady as the autumn leaves began to fall. By late September, the alpha could honestly say he had fallen completely in love with Arthur Kirkland and his boys. When the steam rolling off the hot chocolate finally dissipated, Alfred eagerly grabbed the mug to take a deep sip. He motioned towards the tent with his free hand, “every kid loves camping. The key, though, is to wear them out so they’ll pass out.”

Arthur reached for his own mug as he shamelessly slipped into Alfred’s lap, sighing happily as he placed his head on the alpha’s shoulder. They’d had such a good day, even if they were all exhausted. Alfred showed up early that morning with a grocery bag full of marshmallows, hotdogs, and hot chocolate before announcing to the excited children that they would go ‘backyard camping’. Apparently, the alpha spent most of his childhood in a tent with his brother and couldn’t allow Arthur’s children to go without experiencing a cool, autumn night underneath the stars. Arthur only agreed because his backyard was fenced in, and he didn’t actually believe the boys would fall asleep. He was wrong, of course. The excitement of setting up the tent, building the fire in the fire pit, and making everything ‘cozy’ tuckered them out. Arthur smiled as he sipped his hot chocolate, “you certainly did a good job doing that, Alfred. I imagine this weekend will be the talk of the school come Monday.”

“I always wanted to be popular in grade school,” the alpha teased, smiling as he wrapped his arm around Arthur’s hip to keep him from slipping off his lap. “I just wanted to give them a fun weekend. I heard Jett’s been having some problems in school.” Despite the fact that he wasn’t Jett’s father, Alfred felt the need to keep tabs on his wellbeing. He was so entrenched in their lives that it felt natural to care for Jett and Peter. He was seeing them several times a week, after all. He wasn’t their Head Alpha, but one day he might be, and he wanted to show he cared about the entire Kirkland family. Arthur was playing both roles so beautifully, but Alfred wanted to help him as much as he could, even if that included just being there to talk to him, or distracting the kids. “I thought this might be a good distraction for everyone.”

“I’m guessing Peter has been telling you all about Jett being sent to the principal’s office for fighting?” The Omega asked with a disappointed shake of his head. “I asked him not to talk about it. Jett’s ashamed enough as it is.” His son had gotten into a fight with a classmate over a seat at lunch. Such aggression was unusual for his boy, but Arthur always told him to stick up for himself. When the older boy tried to push Jett, his baby pushed right back. It might not be right, but Arthur was proud of him for standing up for himself. “I didn’t punish him, though. I remembered being just as wild and headstrong at his age.”

Alfred chuckled as he thought of his own childhood. He spent entire days in the principal’s office for fighting or horse playing. “Me too. The secretary knew Mom’s number by heart, because I was always getting into some kind of trouble.” He took another long sip from his mug, “do…do you want me to talk with him?” The alpha asked softly, his blue eyes slowly lifting to lock on an astonished green pair. “I know I’m not…”

“You might not be their father, but you’re the closest thing they have to it.” Arthur interrupted with a soft, understanding smile. “I wouldn’t mind if you said a few encouraging words to him.” He leaned forward to brush their lips together, tasting the chocolate on Alfred’s tongue. “They look up to you, Alfred. I’ve tried to…to discourage it,” he held his hand up when the alpha made an effort to protest, “no, listen. I tried to discourage it in the beginning, because dating is complicated enough without children involved. I didn’t want them to get attached, and then us not have strong feelings for each other. Yet, you’ve involved my children every single step of the way, and I can’t deny they feel affection for you, nor can I deny my own attraction to you.”

“Good,” Alfred replied, setting his mug on the patio table and helping Arthur put his up too. “I want them to trust me.” He cupped Arthur’s face in his hands, pulling him in for a soft kiss. “I want them to love me, like I love you and them.” His cheeks were painted pink as he admitted his love for Arthur. He’d never been a fan of being subtle, nor very quiet about his emotions. He was the kind of alpha that beat around the bush, especially not when he was so enamored by the omega in his lap. “’Coz, you do know that I…I love you, right?”

Arthur chuckled softly, failing to hide his pleased smile after such a sweet kiss and even sweeter words. “I know it’s only been a few months, but I feel the same for you. I’ve never fallen for someone so quickly, nor had an alpha love my children so thoroughly like you do. They’re not even yours, but you have such tenderness with them.” The Omega reached up to comb his fingers through Alfred’s hair, “such a tenderness with me too. I’m not afraid when I’m with you. I feel safe, and I love you so very much.” 

They kissed with a renewed passion. Quick, messy kisses that made soft sounds when their lips parted and came back together. Alfred’s hands were eager to map out Arthur’s backside, but he stopped when he heard the soft rustle of the tent’s flap. He peered around Arthur to see Peter rolling onto his back, but still peacefully asleep. The heat of the moment was gone, and Alfred chuckled as he pressed a soft kiss to his Omega’s jawline. “It’s getting late, Art. I should probably get going.”

Arthur was really disappointed that he couldn’t feel those wonderful hands against his skin, but he didn’t want his children waking up to see him rutting in Alfred’s lap. That was a conversation he didn’t want to have anytime soon. “You’re right,” he mumbled as he climbed from the alpha’s lap and peeked into the fire pit to make sure the coals were smothered with dirt. Alfred dumped dirt on them shortly after the boys decided to lie down for the evening. After stretching his arms over his head, the Omega peeked over his shoulder and held his hand out for Alfred to take. “Of course, it is really late, and maybe…maybe you should stay the night.”

The alpha admired the pretty blush across Arthur’s face before accepting the offered hand. Without pausing for a second, he tugged Arthur against his chest, wrapping an arm low around the omega’s waist. “Yeah,” he agreed with a sly grin, “it’s probably safer to stay here. It’s dark and all.” He flicked his eyes over to the sleeping children, “since the kids are sleeping in the tent, I could…I could stay in their room.” Alfred offered, not wanting to overstep his boundaries with Arthur. The alpha hoped his boyfriend was offering a night in his bed, but he wouldn’t assume anything. 

“Or,” Arthur counter offered, “you could stay in my bed. It’s rather large and a bit cold since my children stole all my blankets.” He looked so hopeful, blushing as he stood on the tips of his toes to mold their lips together. “I’m not a blushing virgin, Alfred.” He joked as he wrapped his arms tightly around Alfred’s neck. “I’m a grown man that knows what he wants, and right now, I want you in my bed.” He leaned up again, laughing softly as he added, “without a single stitch of clothing.” 

That certainly perked the alpha up, and he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Arthur’s ass to lift him into his arms. When Arthur’s legs locked around his waist, he slowly walked them into the house. Halfway up the stairs, he floundered for a moment to peek towards the sliding glass door. “Do you think they’ll be fine?”

Arthur nodded his head, drawing Alfred into another quick kiss. “The gate is locked and blocked by your car. Nothing is getting them, darling.” He felt an extra surge of affection and arousal for the wonderful alpha carrying him. Even with the promise of sex, Alfred was still worried about the boys. Oh, Arthur was completely smitten. “First door on the left,” he reminded the alpha as they stumbled around in the dark. When they finally made it to his bedroom, Arthur was ceremoniously dropped on the bed. A slight wave of awkwardness settled over the omega as Alfred carefully crawled onto the bed and watched him like he was something to be worshiped. The absolute reverence in his alpha’s eyes sent a delicious shiver up Arthur’s spine. 

That feeling drove him to pull himself on his knees and sensually pull his shirt over his head. He hadn’t sensually stripped for anyone in years. His ex-husband preferred taking his ass with very little foreplay. Any date Arthur had after his divorce ended in disaster because of the lingering marks of his past. The scars from the worse beatings, but also the stretch marks from his two pregnancies were easily visible each time he removed his clothes. The extra fat around his stomach and thighs couldn’t be hid as he kicked the soft sweatpants to the floor and sat before Alfred in just his y-front briefs. If his body repulsed the alpha, he made no indication. His blue eyes scanned Arthur like a piece of fine art before he stalked forward like a predator preparing to devour his prey. 

“Fuck, Arthur.” Alfred cursed as he settled between the Omega’s thighs and pressed the softest of kisses along a trail of stretch marks running up Arthur’s stomach. “You’re so damn sexy,” he complimented, moving away only to remove his own clothes and tossing them to join the ones on the floor. It was fairly obvious from the bulge in his boxers that he wasn’t exaggerating his desire for Arthur. He wanted him in the best ways. He wanted to show the Omega that intimacy could be safe, fun, and so very loving. Those wonderful little hips wiggled as Alfred curled his fingers around the elastic band to slowly pull them down. 

Of course, just as he saw the intriguing sight of a tattoo stamped across the Omega’s right hip, the sound of a feet running upstairs reverberated around the room. All the desperate, lustful energy zapped from the room as quickly as if a bucket of ice had been poured over them. Alfred managed to grab their shirts, barely managing to toss it on and jump underneath the blankets as a sniffling Peter came barreling into the room. He hit the end of the bed and scrambled into Arthur’s arms before they could say a single word. Jett was steps behind him, looking a little unsure as he hovered between the doorway and the end of the bed. Alfred’s dick protested the halt, but a few seconds of thinking about the least sexiest things on the planet had him soft enough to drop the blankets against his crotch. He took to watching the emotions float across his boyfriend’s face as Peter described his terrible nightmare. Poor buddy. Maybe they should have left the fire pit going for extra light. 

Arthur’s face was half torn between comforting and incredible frustration as he sat up just in time to catch Peter. He chuckled humorlessly, rubbing his youngest son’s back. “I’ve got you, love. No more nightmares.” He soothed, kissing the child’s forehead only to discover he was already falling back to sleep. Well, no sex for Arthur tonight. He’d gone soft as soon as he heard his child sniffling, and he would be more worried about the boys hearing to try again. He gave the alpha an apologetic smile as he placed Peter between them. “He won’t sleep by himself after a nightmare.” Jett continued to hover until Arthur waved him into the bed and he snuggled behind his mother. It appeared Peter’s screaming woke him up, but he still looked drowsy. In seconds, he was out like a light. The omega sighed softly as he took in his full bed and the terrible sight of Alfred dressed once more, “This isn’t how I intended this night to go.”

“No, but surprises can be sweet. We’ll just have to make sure the door is locked next time.” Alfred joked, sitting up slowly to keep from jostling the bed. He didn’t want to wake the children up. The appearance of the boys left him with a strange situation, should he stay in bed with Arthur? Did Arthur want his children to see them together in such an intimate setting? “Do…do you want me to go?”

“Do you want to go?” He countered, combing his fingers through Peter’s hair as the child slept. “I wasn’t fibbing earlier, I do think it’s entirely too late for you to be driving. I’d feel better if you stayed.” Arthur leaned over to kiss the alpha’s lips. “If you’re not comfortable sleeping in here with us, that’s fine, darling. I never want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Alfred looked at those sleepy green eyes and wondered what he would look like in the morning. Yeah, there was no way he was leaving Arthur’s side, even if he did have to share a bed with two little wiggly monkeys. “I think this bed’s more than comfortable enough.” He lay back down, smiling as Arthur reached across Peter to hold his hand. “Maybe I’ll make breakfast in the morning.”

“Sounds like a good plan, Al.” The omega assured the alpha, unable to make his smile disappear as he yawned. “I’m giving you fair warning, we tend to move around at night. I’m sure you’ll regret this in the morning.” He leaned in for a final, soft ‘goodnight’ kiss. “Sweet dreams, darling.” 

It took a while for them both to get settled, but eventually they joined one another in dreamland. Alfred didn’t know what kind of affect his relationship with Arthur had on the boys, but he did hope it was a good one. He wanted to be a positive male role model for them. Most of all, he wanted them and their mother to know how much they were loved. 

As far as regretting his decision to spend the night, the next morning when Alfred woke up with Peter’s knee in his kidney, Jett asleep across his legs, and Arthur snoring softly in his arms, he knew he’d never regret his decision to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist having them interrupted one good time. :D 
> 
> By the way, thank you everyone for the amazing reviews! I'm beyond thrilled every time I see one and it gives me chills to read them. You're all so wonderful. 
> 
> I hope this feels like the 'calm' before the storm, because it is. Drama is coming guys. Drama!


	6. Garden Maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the spirit of Halloween, Alfred convinces the Kirkland Family to dress up as characters from 'Peter Pan'. The dashing Captain Hook has managed to completely ensnare Peter Pan's heart, but what happens when bad news comes to the Kirkland House? It's just one more thing this family has to weather together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slight mentions of miscarriage. (Like, one sentence.)
> 
> Oh and sex. There's sex in costume in this chapter. :D

“Mummy! Alfred! Look at me!” Peter shouted as he rushed downstairs, the black top hat bobbing precariously on top of his head as he jumped off the bottom step. He gasped as he almost lost his footing, but he managed to grab the railing just in time to keep from falling. The long, white nightshirt he was wearing would need a little hemming so he wouldn’t trip over it all night. With a soft pout, the little boy tugged the ends of his costume up and peeked out from underneath the top hat. “How do I look?”

Arthur couldn’t hide the smile on his face as he walked over and swept his son into a hug. “Oh, baby, you look precious.” He placed Peter back on the ground, adjusting the top hat to sit better on his head. It was finally Halloween. Arthur’s favorite holiday, and it just so happened that Alfred shared the spooky holiday as a personal favorite. Arthur had loved Halloween since he was a small child, because it was the one time of the year a person could pretend to be someone different. Even when he was married, he would make sure to do something special for his children on October 31st. This year, since he had such an enthusiastic partner, they went all out. 

They decided on ‘Peter Pan’ as the theme. Mostly because Alfred wanted to dress up at ‘Captain Hook’ and Arthur really needed an excuse to wear his green tights. He made a rather dashing ‘Peter Pan’, if he said so himself. Alfred’s lingering glances at his ass just proved his costume was doing its job. Peter dressed as John Darling, and Jett was running around like a wild lost boy. They made a sweet picture together. Almost like a real family. 

“You look so cool, dude.” Alfred complimented, grabbing a black umbrella from the closet to hand to Peter. He was already dressed in his costume too. The alpha had a significant number of items to put on, so he dressed before leaving his house. Matthew teased him the entire time he tried to put the long, curly black wig on his head, but it was worth it to see the joy in Arthur’s eyes. The alpha adjusted his red coat, even making sure the buttons were polished shiny. On his hand, a fake hook was already snuggly situated so it wouldn’t come off during the evening. “Not as cool as me, but still cool.”

“Hey!” Peter yelled, attempting to attack Alfred’s legs. He was no match for ‘Captain Hook’, who grabbed him by the waist and lifted him high in the air. 

“I’ll help you!” Jett called, running from the kitchen to barrel into Alfred’s side. He bounced back a bit, but came right back to playfully smack at Alfred’s flank. His ‘lost boy’ costume included a dirty face and several old beige and green shirts sewed together haphazardly. Arthur even made his son a crown of straw and leaves for extra camouflage. “Alfred!”

Alfred laughed, shifting the squirming Peter into the arm with his hook hand and placing his hand on Jett’s head to push him back. “I have won!” He declared, glancing over as Arthur playfully came up behind him to wrap his arms around Alfred’s waist. “I’m sorry, Arthur, I’ve taken your children as captives. They’re going to work on my ship and scrub the desk.”

As the squawks of protest went up, Arthur squeezed the alpha’s middle softly. Chuckling, he rested his chin on the Alfred’s shoulder, softly kissing the man’s neck. “Please, Captain, release my children. They’re supposed to go trick or treating tonight. I’ll take their place as your captive.”

“Oh?” The Alpha asked, turning his head to wink at his boyfriend. “I suppose I can let them go for that kind of trade.” With a loud, exaggerated sigh, Alfred released both boys, patting their backs with his hand. “Why don’t you two go show Feli and Ludwig your costumes? I’m sure they would love to see them.” 

Without needing to be told again, the boys scampered out the front door, leaving the two adults in the kitchen. After a moment, Arthur lightly trailed his fingernails down Alfred’s ruffled shirt, listening to the rustling fabric. “You know, Captain,” the Omega began as he slipped his hand underneath the red ‘pirate’ coat to unbuckle Alfred’s black belt, “we have a few minutes to ourselves.” That nimble hand slipped into Alfred’s trousers to wrap around his cock. Hearing Alfred’s grunt of pleasure made him smirk against the man’s neck. He grabbed the wig and tossed it to the floor. “I want you to fuck me, Captain.” 

Alfred’s cock throbbed at those words, and he grabbed Arthur’s hand to keep it on his dick. Slowly, he used his lover’s hand to stroke himself to hardness. “You’re so damn sexy, baby.” He teased, pulling the Omega in front of him to lift him onto the kitchen table. The costume’s green skirt bunched around Arthur’s hips and an obvious wet spot was already forming on his tights. Smirking, Alfred tugged the tights off, letting them drop to the floor, and tugged Arthur close to him. Three fingers slipped into his lover easily, but the height of the table was too much for him to get a good angle.

He lifted Arthur from the table and pressed him against the pantry door. Their movements were quick and frantic as Alfred removed his fingers to slide Arthur down his dick. That initial gasp of penetration was swallowed by Alfred’s mouth as they began their frenzied dance. “Goddammit, Art. You’re gonna kill me.” He rutted into his boyfriend and met him for desperate, open-mouthed kisses. They knew their time was short before the children returned. 

Arthur reached above his head to grab the top of the doorframe. He used the edge as leverage to roughly met Alfred’s thrusts. “Fuck, yes, yes.” He chanted, green eyes squeezed shut as his thighs trembled with the effort to keep wrapped around the alpha. He was going to be sore in all the right places before the night was over with. He shifted his hips just a little to take more of Alfred. It was such a damn good feeling. He was lost in that feeling, even bouncing faster as his climax rushed forward. 

It took him by complete surprise when he came. He was only aware of the unbelievable pleasure rushing through his veins and the feeling of Alfred coming inside him. His ex-alpha was a selfish lover, and never made Arthur come outside of his heat. How sad was that? Alfred seemed to get off on watching Arthur come completely undone around him. It just made his heart swell even more for the alpha panting against his neck. 

When he recovered, Alfred drew his boyfriend into a kiss, sighing as he pulled away to wipe a stray tear off Arthur’s cheek. “We need to get cleaned up. Kids will be back soon.” They couldn’t find them like this. While the boys had accepted Alfred ‘spending the night,’ they didn’t need to know the true nature of an adult relationship. Alfred reached for the paper towels on the counter to help clean Arthur up. When he pulled out, he grimace as he reached down to wipe his seed off Arthur’s skin. “Sorry, Art, I should have worn a condom.”

“I rather like it,” Arthur admitted with a hot blush on his face. “Maybe...maybe not when we have to walk a few blocks, but it’s something we should try later.” He pecked Alfred’s cheek and slowly unwrapped his legs from Alfred’s hips to stand up. He was a bit wobbly at first, but he managed to hold his balance. “We better hurry. I think I hear them.” Arthur reached down to find his tights, pulling them back up his legs. 

Alfred was right behind him, adjusting his trousers and making sure everything was back in place. He even put his wig back on and made sure his hat looked spectacular. “Okay, how do I look? Anything out of place?” 

Ring. 

Ring. 

Before Arthur could answer, the house phone rang loudly near his ear. Their kitchen phone was mounted on the wall near the pantry. He sighed as he patted Alfred’s cheek to reassure the man. “You’re fine, love. Though,” his eyes turned mischievous as he took the phone off the hook, “black is not your color.” He laughed as Alfred tried to tickle him before managing to knock the American away. The Omega cleared his throat as he attempted to calm down to speak to caller. “Kirkland residence, Arthur speaking.” 

“Arthur?”

The Omega froze as a familiar voice sounded through the speaker. “Basch?” He questioned, glancing over to Alfred to give the worried Alpha a comforting smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. How have you been?”

“Who is that?” Alfred whispered lowly, eyebrows furrowed together as he leaned against the counter. 

Arthur held the phone to his chest as his attorney, Basch Zwingli, answered his pleasantries. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested, but Alfred looked so tense that the Omega feared he would pop. “It’s fine, love. My old attorney, Basch, calls every so often to keep me updated on my ex-husband.” He brought the phone back to his ear as the lawyer asked after the boys. “They’re doing great, actually. They’ve made a lot of good friends at their new school. We’re..we’re happy here.” 

Alfred nodded his head, glancing over Arthur’s shoulder to see the boys running across the yard. “I’ll keep the boys distracted while you talk, okay?” He pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek before leaving him alone with his phone call. 

“That’s great, Arthur.” Basch’s told him, sounding a lot more chipper than their last phone call. “I’m glad everyone is doing well.” There was a pause in their conversation before the lawyer let out a soft sigh. “There’s been a new development about your ex-husband that I thought I should tell you about.”

“Umm, let..let me..let me sit down,” Arthur stuttered out, walking swiftly to the bar stool to take a seat. “Okay, okay,” the omega took another deep, cleansing breath to calm down, “I’m ready.” His mind was going crazy as he thought about all the possible scenarios. Was his ex-husband on his way? Did he have plans to harm their children? Did some traditionalist judge overturn their divorce? Arthur’s palms were practically pouring sweat as he braced himself against the counter. “Go on, Basch. You’ve always given it to me straight.”

“He’s dead, Arthur.” 

The silence in the room was almost deafening. Arthur could only focus on the sound of their combined breathing. His eyes filled with tears, but he wasn’t going to cry for that bastard. His tears were full of relief. His nightmare was finally over. There would be no more looking over his shoulder or double-checking the locks at night. He wouldn’t suddenly appear to ruin their happiness. “What happened?”

Basch clucked his tongue, “car accident. From what the police can tell, he spent most of last weekend in a bar and tried to drive home early Sunday morning. Wrapped his car around a tree and slowly died most of Sunday.” It was a tragic way to die, but he’d been an evil man. Karma always came back to haunt you. “Since he didn’t remarry, everything goes to the kids. It’s not much, there’s some land and a few meager possession. I already have the paperwork to assign you as guardian over their interests.”

“We don’t want anything from him,” Arthur said, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. “I’ll sign the papers, but I want you to sell everything. We packed our good memories up when we left. Everything in Missouri is full of bad memories and I won’t bring it to Virginia.” He sighed softly, breath hitching as the realization continued to crash down on him. His monster was finally dead. “We don’t want the money either. I’m sending my kids to college, not that asshole. Donate all the money to an abuse shelter in our name.”

“Already on it,” Basch quipped. The sound of him shifting in his seat could be heard over the phone as he began writing down Arthur’s orders. When the pen stopped moving, the lawyer addressed him again. “I’ll get it all taken care of. Don’t worry about it, Arthur.” 

“Thank you for everything, Basch.”

The Beta chuckled softly, “I was only doing the right thing. Say ‘hey’ to the kids for me. Have a good life, Arthur.” With that, he hung up. 

Arthur let the phone clatter to the countertop as he began to sob uncontrollably. The utter relief of complete freedom rolled through his body as he cried for every moment of his stolen youth and every moment of utter terror. He cried for the babies he lost and the bruises that never seemed to go away. Most of all, he cried for the violence his children were shown. He hoped they would become better men than the trash that sired them. He cried out all of these emotions in that kitchen until he felt Alfred’s arms wrap around him. 

“Baby, it’s okay.” Alfred soothed, tucking the sobbing omega’s head underneath his chin. “I’ve got you, Arthur. I won’t let anything hurt you.” He didn’t know what the conversation was about, but it hurt him to know his boyfriend was so damn upset. He focused on getting the tremors to stop and his eyes to dry. “Shush, Artie. I’ve got you.”

Alfred’s comfort helped him finally wipe his tears. When he lifted his eyes to met Alfred’s concerned baby blues, he actually smiled at the man. “I’m not sad, Alfred. I’m so…relieved.” He whispered, hungrily pulling the alpha into a kiss. “He’s dead, love.” Arthur wiped his eyes again, smearing tears across his face. “He’s not going to come in the back door to hurt me or snatch my children away. He’s gone.” Arthur hugged Alfred tightly, wiping his face on the coarse fabric of his costume. 

Alfred couldn’t believe it. He always knew Arthur's ex-husband was a big fear in the back of his mind, but he never expected for them to get this kind of news. He didn’t understand the kind of terror Arthur underwent with the man, but he knew this was a big relief. They wouldn’t celebrate a man’s death, but they would accept that the danger was gone. Arthur finally felt free. “Are you okay? You going to tell the kids?”

“Not tonight,” Arthur decided, grabbing another paper towel to wipe his glitter make-up off Alfred’s coat. “I don’t want to ruin their holiday by mentioning him. They never speak about him, Alfred. I don’t even think they think about him.” He leaned his head on the alpha’s chest to listen to his heartbeat. The steady sound calmed him. It took his mind away from the terrible memories and proved to him that he would have better, happier ones. “Thank you for being here and loving me despite the obvious baggage in my life.”

At those self-depreciating words, Alfred tilted Arthur’s chin up to press a sweet kiss to his lips. “You’re my soul mate, Arthur Kirkland, and I’ve known that since you walked those big eyebrows into my swimming pool.” 

“Ass,” Arthur insulted, smiling as he smacked the alpha’s shoulder. He could hear the kids getting a little restless outside. If they didn’t hurry, they’d kill each other before trick or treating began. “We better hurry before they mutiny.” He grabbed the roll-on glitter make-up from the counter to fix his face before accepting Alfred’s offered arm. “Lead the way, Captain.”

Alfred gave him a teasing salute before leading Arthur to the front yard. By the end of the night, both children, and Alfred, were completely loaded down with sweets. Arthur made them put all the candy up, since it was rather late, and get into bed. Surprisingly, no one protested and after a bath and bedtime story, the adults were alone once more. It seemed rather natural for Alfred to lock all the doors and windows before following Arthur to his bedroom. As they curled together, Arthur couldn’t help but think about how domestic it all seemed. He rather liked that too. Their relationship was rather young, but he couldn’t see himself loving anyone else. Alfred held his heart, and he desperately hoped the alpha would keep it from shattering again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the reviews! I get so damn happy when I see them and know people enjoy this story! This is officially the 'halfway' mark and there will be an increase in angst and drama. :) Stay with me, it's going to be a bouncy ride.


	7. Storm at Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changes are coming in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been forever. Sorry guys, school has been terrible so far. I managed to get this chapter out, but it's more like a filler than anything else. Hope you all enjoy it! I honestly don't know if I'll get another chapter out before Thanksgiving.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with him, Alfred. Jett got into another fight at school. This time he broke the little boy’s nose.” Arthur sounded so tired over the phone. The usual warmth and cheer in his voice was replaced by uncertainty and worry. It had the Alpha on instant alert, and sent his instincts into hyper drive. The desire to protect Arthur’s sanity and nurture Jett’s emerging hormones clashed, and left the American wondering if he could handle them both. “The school nurse…he said this could be a late emergence of Jett’s children trauma. Al,” Arthur’s voice broke as he let out a quivering sigh, “he’s my baby and I don’t know how to handle him. I don’t want him to be like his father.”

“Hey, hey, that’s not going to happen, baby.” It broke Alfred’s heart to hear the fear in his lover’s voice. Jett was a great kid, but he developed a habit of fighting over the past few months. He was always so sorry for his actions after the incident, but he always said the alpha children deserved it. The American hadn’t mentioned it to his boyfriend, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Jett was entering puberty earlier than expected. From the slightly sweet smell beginning to develop around the boy, he also suspected the brunette was going to present as an Omega. The state required all adults in ‘teaching’ positions to take yearly classes on adolescent growth. Despite only teaching swimming, Alfred had to go every year since he worked with children. It would prevent them from ignoring warning signs in the event of early mating cycles, or sexual abuse. To be honest, Alfred’s only had to deal with a teenage Alpha going into rut, and easily managed that incident with a water hose. “Jett is a sweet boy. I’ve seen how nice he is to Peter and how helpful he is to everyone else.”

“I know,” Arthur answered with another longsuffering sigh. “I still feel responsible, because I’m the one that waited so long to get us out of a toxic situation. What if my fear damaged my children and they become monsters?” 

“Arthur,” Alfred soothed, shifting the phone from one ear to the next as he stood up to find his jeans, “you’re not responsible. You all went through therapy, and still go every month, so there’s legitimately no way you’re responsible for not getting your children help. Jett and Peter aren’t going to become monsters because they have an amazing mother to help them.” He paused for a moment as he found his shoes and slipped them on. “Also, they’ve got me.” 

For a few seconds, Arthur’s end was deathly silent. Alfred was afraid he’d said the wrong thing before he heard the sound of his lover’s warm voice in his ear. “They do have us, don’t they? We make a great team.” 

“Yeah we do, baby.” Alfred answered, tucking his phone between his shoulder and ear so he could tie his shoelaces. “I think I’m going to pop over there for a bit. You sound like you need a little lovin’ to take your mind off things.”

His Omega laughed, “I’m sure you know plenty of ways to distract me from my troubles. Should I expect you within the hour? If you hurry, you can help eat the cookies Peter baked this morning.” 

Alfred flicked his eyes over to the clock, humming his affirmation. “I can’t pass up cookies.” He grabbed his keys and wallet before jogging downstairs. “You know, considering Jett’s almost ten, this might not be him acting out because of childhood trauma.” He waved ‘bye’ at his parents as he slipped out the front door. “What if he’s presenting as an Omega? Increased aggression towards Alphas, but no visible aggression towards other natures or family members is an uncommon sign of early puberty.” 

“I thought about it, to be honest.” Arthur replied, “I’ve noticed him acting a bit strange around you.” Alfred could hear the jostling of the phone and a closing of the door as Arthur moved through his house. “Nothing sexual, of course, but he’s looking for your scent. Alfred, my boys love you like a father.” The Omega’s voice broke again, “they’ve never had an Alpha in their lives that kept them safe and warm. I know Jett might present as an Omega, but I don’t worry because I know you’ll be a good example of an Alpha for him.” 

Alfred actually had to wipe his eyes after such touching words. He sniffled, coughing to clear his throat. “Fuck, Artie, you’re making me cry.” He breathed out, opening his car door and climbing into the car. “I love those kids, baby. I’m never going to hurt them.”

“I know, I’ve realized that a long time ago.” Arthur replied, barely concealing his own sniffles. “Now, get your lovely behind over here. I can’t eat all these cookies.”

“Your wish is my command.”

(One Week Later…)

“Alfred F. Jones, ice cream is not on my shopping list.” Arthur snapped at his boyfriend, pointing towards the grocery store freezer with his index finger and a stern look on his face. “Honestly, you’re worse than my children! There is snow on the ground, and you want to buy ice cream.”

Alfred pouted as he put the ice cream back in the freezer. Dutifully, he walked over and sweetly wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist. “Ice cream tastes better when it’s freezing outside.” He insisted with a smile, laughing as the Omega swatted his arms away. “Sorry, sorry, I just thought you’d want my love.”

Arthur rolled his eyes at the childish Alpha, pushing the shopping cart forward. “I certainly want your love, just not while I’m trying to shop.” He had to get Alfred away from the sweets, because the man had a persuasive quality about him that rivaled the cutest puppy. All Alfred had to do was pout, and Arthur would cave. He wasn’t proud of that revelation, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He’d fallen in love with an overgrown child. “Now, I need to pick up Jett’s medication. Be a dear and grab a package of rice.”

“How is he doing?” The Alphas asked as he grabbed a package of rice from the shelf to toss into the shopping cart. “I haven’t been over since he went to the doctor.” He knew the young brunette had tested positive for the Omega trait. He had a severe hormonal imbalance, which meant he was going through precocious puberty. The doctors were hoping a few hormone shots could balance him out, and prevent the pre-teen from going into an early heat. 

The Omega sighed as he turned the shopping cart towards the pharmacy center. “I think he’s shocked, to be very honest. We live in a society that remembers the traditional households, but we don’t partake because, as a society, we’ve evolved beyond the traditional roles. He will never be barred from attending school or having a career in an alpha-oriented field. He’ll never have to get married or mated, if he doesn’t want to. Yet, he lived in a household where the Alpha was abusive. Jett being an Omega brings up a lot of unanswered questions and discussions. I think he’s scared that he’ll have the same experience I did.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Alfred stated firmly, reaching over to cover Arthur’s hand with his own. “You and I are not going to let that happen to him, or Peter. No one will ever lay a hand on him like that asshole did to you.” He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Arthur’s cheek. 

Arthur chuckled softly, leaning into the kiss. “I have the upmost confidence in our abilities.” He admitted as he regretfully pulled away from the sweet moment to talk to the pharmacy technician. After a brief council on the medication, the Omega returned to his boyfriend’s side and sweetly grabbed his hand. “We’ve got everything on my list. Maybe we should plan for a lazy day? Grab a pizza and watch a few movies?”

“Hmm, sounds like a good idea. We haven’t had a lazy day together in ages.” He followed his boyfriend dutifully, helping him bag his groceries and carry them out to the car. “I might need you to swing by my place so I can grab another change of clothes. Your shirts are not going to fit me, and we both know I’m going to get food on me somehow.” 

“You do eat worse than a toddler,” Arthur teased as he climbed into his car after all the bags were loaded in the trunk. He sat there for a few minutes before glancing over at his love. “Maybe you should pack more than just one change of clothes.” 

Alfred was silent for just a moment as he processed those words. Was Arthur asking him to move in? “Are you asking what I think you’re asking?” 

The Omega nodded his head with a fond smile plastered across his face. “I’ve been thinking about it more and more, and I know you’re my Alpha. I want….I want you to live with us. My boys love you, I love you, and the next step is welcoming you into our home. I know you’re frustrated with living with your parents, so this is an easy solution that makes everyone happy.” Arthur nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek, waiting for a response. “I know the Alpha is supposed to ask, but I’ve never been a proper, traditional Omega.”

Alfred laughed as he leaned over to press a lingering kiss to his lover’s lips. “Of course I want to move in with you. I..I never thought you would ask.” He pulled away to press their foreheads together, chuckling as he peered into those perfect green eyes. “We can be a family. A true, loving family.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Arthur whispered, cupping Alfred’s cheek with his hand. They shared another kiss before Arthur pulled away. “Okay, enough sappiness for one day. We’ve got to get home before the milk ruins.” 

Alfred just smiled as they drove towards his house. He knew they had a lot more to talk about. Would they share Arthur’s next heat? Did he need to truly take on the role of ‘father’ to the boys? How would the boys react? All of those questions settled in his brain and began to worry him. Of course, all it took was one smile from Arthur, and a gentle squeeze of his hand to wash all those worries away. 

Everything would work itself out in due time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's not the drama I've been promising, but we're working up to something good. :) Drama needs to be bred, after all.


	8. Ruins of Jericho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happiness can't last forever, but it is the struggles that make a relationship stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight dub-con touching within the chapter.

Living together with the Kirkland family never seemed like a chore for Alfred. Despite having to shift his schedule to accommodate living with children, Alfred felt like he finally had a true home. Don’t get him wrong, he loved his parents and brother, but he always felt like a child every night he slept beneath his parents’ roof. Moving into Arthur’s home made him feel like a man again. Yeah, he might spend a few nights a week wearing a fake tiara and sheets fashioned into a dress as Jett and Peter tried to save the ‘princess’ from the monster. And yeah, maybe he spent a few mornings singing silly pop songs to wake his grumpy children up for school. All of that didn’t matter in comparison to the times when he dipped Arthur for a kiss, or sensually slid his hand down the Omega’s body. It just felt so damn right to call the little house his home. 

As the family began to settle into a comfortable routine, Alfred began encouraging Arthur to be a little more adventurous in their love life. Since Arthur mated his ex-mate at such a young age, he never got to experience the ‘normal’ social scenes. He’d never been to an R-rated movie until the Alpha decided they should go see a scary movie. Despite Alfred needing to sleep with the light on, the date had been a roaring success. They’d even gone to a concert. Arthur’s boss gave him tickets to a punk rock show as a birthday joke and the Omega insisted they go just to one-up the French alpha. Arthur ended up loving the show and bought himself a record player to discover other music. Alfred tried to surprise him every Friday by bringing in a new record from his own collection. 

There was one thing Arthur hadn’t experienced and that was the bar scene. Alfred wasn’t a big drinker. He had the alcohol tolerance of a fifteen-year-old girl, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a beer or two while watching a game. He knew just the bar too. His old high school friend, and one-time rival, Ivan Braginski owned a bar on the outskirts of town. They had grown apart in the years after high school, but the two Alphas tried to get together at least once a year. So marking yet another experienced off Arthur’s bucket list made for the perfect get-together. 

So, late on Friday afternoon, Alfred dropped Jett and Peter off at his parents’ house and swung by Arthur’s job to pick him up. He hadn’t told the Omega where they were going that morning. He wanted it to be a surprise. All he told his lover was to wear something casual. They would grab a bite to eat at the little café in town, because Alfred knew Ivan’s food was terrible. They used to joke that they would open a bar together. Ivan would handle the bar and Alfred would handle the kitchen. Too bad it didn’t work out that way, because the American was positive he would still have a restaurant if he’d gone into business with his childhood friend. 

As the sun began to set, Alfred’s car finally pulled into the parking lot of Ivan’s bar. He glanced over at his boyfriend, sending him a teasing smile as the Omega sheepishly grinned at the prospect of enjoying an adult environment. It was fun, too. Ivan wasn’t in that night, but his younger sister was managing the bar. She enjoyed telling Arthur all the embarrassing stories about the Alpha from their childhood. Between accidentally ripping his trousers during the Christmas play to nearly setting the home economic kitchen on fire, Natalya had plenty of blackmail material. It also didn’t help that Alfred practically lived at their house on the weekends when his relationship with his parents was strained or he needed to catch up on homework. 

It made the Alpha realize just how much he’d missed this little sleepy town. Yeah, it wasn’t the most glamorous, but he could set roots down here. There wasn’t anything wrong with returning home to settle down and that was a realization it had taken Alfred a long time to come to. He wasn’t a loser for failing. Arthur didn’t love him any less for his mistakes. It filled his heart with overwhelming joy as he watched the Omega joke and laugh with the Russian Beta. Without a care in the world, Alfred knocked back another shot and watched a hockey game on the television in the corner of the bar. 

As the night began to grow later, Alfred and Arthur remained cuddled together in a back booth. It was sweet and hazy with the scents of the bar. His Omega smelled great in his arms, maybe a bit too good. He leaned in as the hockey game went to commercial to press a kiss to Arthur’s neck. “You smell good.” 

Arthur actually giggled, turning to brush their lips together. He’d drunk quite a bit more than Alfred, but not too much to get him sick. He looked a bit tipsy. Alfred liver had long since processed his alcohol and he didn’t worry about being tipsy. It was far more entertaining to watch Arthur. “I’m a bit close to my heat.” 

Ahh, that did explain it. Usually the week or so before an Omega’s heat, they tended to give off a decent amount of pheromones. Alfred knew what Arthur’s smelt like, because the pheromones weren’t the kind that would make him crazy with lust. He felt overly protective all of a sudden, but mostly he felt like he wanted to curl up with his boyfriend underneath a warm blanket. “Should we go?” Alfred asked softly, curling his fingers around the hair brushing the base of Arthur’s neck. 

Just like a cat seeking affection, Arthur’s neck arched towards those fingers. An evening at home with the alpha after such a cozy, wonderful date sounded like a marvelous idea. It was getting late, after all. A more unsavory crowd was beginning to trickle into the bar, and the Omega would rather curl up on the couch with Alfred anyway. “Sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Awesome! I’m going to spoil you so much tonight.” They hadn’t really discussed if they were going to spend Arthur’s heat together, but regardless if they were or not, the Alpha was going to spoil Arthur as much as possible. He wanted his lover to feel his love and know that he cared more about him as a person than about sex. Alfred reached into his pocket to hand his boyfriend his wallet. He needed to run to the bathroom before they left. “Pay for us while I go to the bathroom. I’ll be right out, baby.” 

Arthur grabbed the wallet as he waved Alfred towards the bathrooms. “I’ll meet you at the car,” he called as he slid out of the booth after the Alpha. Natalya was still managing the bar as he handed the Beta the debit card. As their purchases rang up, the two made idle conversation and promised to get together so Arthur could meet Ivan. If Natalya had embarrassing stories about Alfred, there was no telling what stories the Russian Alpha had. 

It was after another customer distracted Natalya that Arthur felt an overbearing presence at his back. His entire body tensed as he realized the alpha behind him was far too close for his comfort, and that a large hand had made itself home on the swell of the Omega’s ass. Without meaning to, or even realizing what he was doing, the Omega’s entire body froze as the unfamiliar Alpha leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He couldn’t hear it, but he could smell the stale stench of beer and cheap cigars. He became lost in his unpleasant memories of his ex-husband and suddenly the entire room felt far too small. 

His breathing became uneven and shallow as his hands clenched against the bar top. He was nearing full-blown panic attack before he remembered the techniques his counselor taught him. The guy’s hand was still on his ass and inching towards his hips, but Arthur removed the fear and panic from his mind. He breathed in deeply, clearing his mind of all those negative emotions. He couldn’t allow himself to play the victim any longer. He wasn’t going to stay silent. His body was his and no one had the right to touch it without his permission. Strengthening his stance and clenching his fists, Arthur turned rapidly to tell the Alpha to back off. 

He never had the chance to tell the stranger off, though. Just as he turned around, the Alpha’s hands were ripped from his ass and the resounding ‘thump’ of the man hitting the floor reverberated around the bar. Arthur’s impossibly wide eyes watched as a growling Alfred descended upon the stranger. Cheers went up around the bar as the stranger’s lips split and blood dripped onto the wooden floor. Arthur knew other Omegas would feel grateful seeing their boyfriend defend their honor, but Arthur just felt sick watching the violence unfold before him. Hadn’t his ex-husband beat up some guy outside the supermarket for whistling at Arthur? Or the time at the gas station where the clerk slapped Arthur’s ass?

Suddenly, Arthur felt like he was going to throw up, and it wasn’t just the alcohol. What if Alfred, for all his inherit goodness, didn’t stay that way? Arthur had never seen the alpha mad, so what if this was his normal reactions? His ex-husband seemed too good to be true in the beginning and eventually proved himself right. What if he was doomed to make the same mistakes? Arthur couldn’t live through that again. He couldn’t put his children through that again. He wouldn’t put his children through that again. He watched Natalya break up the fight, but he didn’t stay to see Alfred emerge victorious. 

Arthur slipped around the bleeding Alpha and sprinted into the parking lot with angry tears gathered in his eyes. He felt confused and utterly defeated. He didn’t have all the answers, but he knew he needed to cool off.

“Arthur? Hey! Baby, come back!”

He didn’t stop when Alfred called out for him. He didn’t even pause until he got back to the car. Arthur pressed his palms against the cool metal of the car door, trying to calm himself. He didn’t want to answer the Alpha, but all too soon Alfred was at his side with a stupid, comforting hand pressed against his lower back. 

“Baby, you okay?” 

Arthur’s hand shook as he wiped his eyes and took another deep, cleansing breath. “No, I’m not okay.” He said slowly, turning around to stare into Alfred’s worried eyes. “How…how can you resort to such violence?” He hissed out, glaring back at the bar. “Yeah, he touched me without my permission, but he was a sleazeball. It’s to be expected for a sleazeball. I had it! You didn’t need to beat his head in. You could have told him off, or pushed him off. You shouldn’t have continued to beat him into the ground.” 

“I was just trying to help.” Alfred interjected as Arthur took another breath to calm himself down. When he’d seen that guy draped across his boyfriend, it angered him on another level. He couldn’t control his anger and hitting the guy made him feel better. He hadn’t thought about Arthur’s reaction. All he thought about was making the problem go away. “I’m….I let my anger get the best of me. I just saw red and..I had to stop him. I’m…I’m sorry, Arthur.”

“Yeah, well, me too.” He whispered as he turned his face away from his lover. Oh, he loved this alpha beside him, but he was scared of making those same mistakes. He needed time to think. “After tonight, I need some time to do a little thinking. I think we should take a break.” Arthur snapped as he jerked the car door open and climbed into the passenger’s seat. “Take me home, now.”

The heartbreak was obvious on Alfred’s face, but he said nothing as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He wanted to hold Arthur close and make everything better, but there was an unusual distance between them. He might have truly messed up big time. Without saying a word, Alfred drove them home. Unsure if he was even allowed to call that cozy little house a home anymore. He wasn’t even sure if their relationship would survive.


	9. Indian Hatchet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's children that are the wisest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides underneath desk* I'm back! Thank you for the support even when I drop off the face of the earth!

“Are Mum and Alfred getting a divorce?” Peter whispered to his brother after another tense evening in the Kirkland house. It should have been another normal night, but for the past several weeks there was a tension in the air. Alfred hadn’t slept at their house in days, and their mother barricaded himself in his room for a lonely, miserable heat. Despite being far too young to understand, Peter knew something wasn’t quite right with the adults in his life. He was far too young to remember the finer points of his mother’s previous marriage, but he could tell something had shifted in his life.

Jett, who had been working on his homework, dropped his pencil to look at his brother in confusion. “Mum and Alfred aren’t married, goofball.” He knew his brother didn’t understand, but he couldn’t honestly admit he understood either. Everything was fine one day and the next everything was chaotic. He missed Alfred reading stories to them and he missed watching his mother smile. At the same time, he felt a sense of duty to be furious with the Alpha. He made his mother sad and no one should be allowed to do that. “My teacher said that sometimes people argue when they’re in relationships.” 

Peter didn’t like that answer if the pout on his face was any indication. “Can’t they just apologize to each other? Like Mummy makes us do, even when we don’t want to. We always stop fighting.”

Jett shrugged his shoulders as he fiddled with his pencil. “Adults are weird, Peter.” The young Omega assumed that was enough for his brother and returned to his homework. Except, it wasn’t enough for the younger boy. He puffed his cheeks out and tugged on Jett’s arm until the Omega whirled around with a frown stretched across his lips. “What?”

Peter inched back at his brother’s anger, but didn’t run away. He was growing used to his brother’s mood swings and knew how to handle them now. “I like Alfred, though. He made Mum happy. Can’t..can’t we do something?” 

His blue eyes were so hopeful that Jett felt bad for shaking his head. “We can’t force them together, Peter. They’ve got to figure it out themselves.” Jett reached over to tug Peter into one of his rare hugs. Peter soaked up the attention, nuzzling his face into the crook of his brother’s neck to soak up his brother’s scent. “All we can do is wait. Alfred’s…Alfred’s nothing like father was and Mum knows that. Mum’s happier with Alfred. They’ll get along again. It’s gonna be okay. I think…I think they love each other too much to keep fighting like this.” 

Though the children were alone in the living room, Arthur could hear them from his chair in the kitchen. He’d encouraged them to speak as loudly as they wanted to in their home. After years of being forced into silence, Arthur never wanted to see his children tiptoe around their home. A home was supposed to be a place for comfort and warmth, after all. A home was a place for children to be themselves without fearing retribution. Yet, as he sat there listening to his children, Arthur wasn’t focused on the loudness of their voices or the bickering, no, he was focused on the unexpected maturity in their thoughts. He knew bringing Alfred into their home meant a change for them all. He knew Alfred’s presence would shift the dynamic. He just never anticipated Alfred having such an impact on the lives of his children. Despite their short time together, his boys looked up to the alpha as a father figure. The excited praises for jobs well done and the subtle, chiding discipline for disobedience. Why, Arthur hadn’t realized it, but Alfred fell so easily into the role of father. 

Yes, the alpha’s violence had terrified him. Violence of any kind was an emotional trigger for Arthur. There simply wasn’t anything he could do to prevent it from happening. He just needed to be a bit more open with the Alpha. Maybe even include him in his monthly therapy sessions? As he sat there allowing his children to remind him of his happiness, Arthur knew he couldn’t let his first good relationship slip through his fingers. They would need to work out some issues, but the Omega wasn’t going to let Alfred go. With a weak smile on his face, Arthur grabbed his phone and called the Alpha. 

Ring. 

Ring. 

Ring. 

“Arthur?” Alfred’s voice sounded from the phone’s speaker. His voice was rough from the static on the phone, but the sound of the alpha’s warm tone sent a thrill down Arthur’s spine. He missed the man so much. “You there, Art?” 

Arthur licked his lips, making a soft sound of acknowledgement. “Y-yeah. Sorry, Alfred, I was…I was momentarily distracted.” He stood up to watch Jett and Peter through the open doorway. They were getting along so well now. “I…I think we need to talk. I’ve…I’ve missed you.”

“Baby,” the alpha cooed, “I’ve missed you too. I’ve wanted to…to apologize and…shit…Artie, I’m so so sorry about that night. I…my brother always said I get too possessive and I did. I…I scared you and I never want to do that again.” 

Arthur closed his eyes, nodding his head as he tried to find the courage to speak to Alfred without instantly forgiving him. That was the problem with abusive relationships; the abuser would apologize and promise to never do it again only to break that promise once more. He knew Alfred wasn’t an abuser, but the fear of falling into the same pattern made him nervous. “I..I can’t….I can’t just welcome you back. We need to talk about our relationship and how we’re going to make sure this never happens again.” Arthur took another deep breath, steeling his nerves. They needed to go somewhere public, so Arthur didn’t feel so entrapped and nervous. “Will you meet us at Sally’s Diner?”

“I’ll meet you there in ten.”

~~~~

Sally’s Diner was one of the major hot spots in town. On a Tuesday afternoon, though, it was fairly quiet. Alfred was already sitting down at a table when Arthur and the boys arrived in their car. Both of the boys were ecstatic to see Alfred, running over to clamber all over the top of him. Despite being glad to see the kids, Alfred sent them towards the arcade at the back of the diner with a handful of quarters. The children were properly distracted while the adults were able to talk. Arthur slid into the booth in front of his lover and managed to smile when Alfred reached over to take his hands. They didn’t speak for the first few minutes. Neither said a single word as their hands refamiliarized themselves with each other.

Finally, Alfred broke the silence to cup Arthur’s face. “I’ve missed you.” He sounded so damn earnest that it almost made the Omega weep. “I…I don’t care what I have to do to win your trust back, I’ll do it a thousand times over.” The Alpha looked as bad as Arthur felt. There were deep bags underneath his eyes and his hair seemed unbrushed. Why, if Arthur looked close enough, even it appeared that Alfred had lost weight. “I…I love you too much to let you go.”

I love you. I love you. Those words roared loudly in Arthur’s ear, making his eyes water again. He’d wanted to hear those words spoken with warmth since he left his ex-husband. He wanted to be loved simply for being himself and Alfred was willing to do that. Still, the lingering doubts and nightmares plagued the back of the Omega’s mind. He couldn’t just accept Alfred back without fully discussing the main problem: Alfred’s unexpected use of violence. “I..I love you too. I…I can’t let the memories go sometimes. I know you’re not him. I know that, but I’m so scared sometimes that I’m making the same mistakes again.” 

“I understand.” Alfred promised, squeezing Arthur’s hands softly. “I know in our life together that there will be triggers and issues that come up because of your past. That doesn’t matter to me.” The Alpha’s eyes were so wide and so blue as he locked eyes with Arthur. His smiled was encouraging and his entire body seemed to relax as Arthur managed to smile back at him. “I know I’ll have to watch my own reactions so I don’t unintentionally harm you. I never want you to doubt my intentions again. I never want you to be scared of me.”

Arthur nodded his head, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “If..if we’re going to make this work, then I’d like for you to start attending therapy with me.” It was a lot to ask, but it would be beneficial for his partner to attend the meetings. Arthur had no qualms about calling Alfred his partner, because he knew prior to the incident he planned to spend his heat with the Alpha. His body had been thoroughly upset during his heat without Alfred’s presence. The last bits of Alfred’s scent on the pillows only made for an incredibly miserable heat without a source of comfort. “That way you have first hand knowledge of my triggers and maybe it’ll help us learn…well…learn positive ways to deal with conflict as a couple. I’m not going to be naïve and say we’ll never fight. We’re two completely different adults that will have disagreements, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re always wrong because you’re afraid of triggering my memories. I’m not always going to be right. I just…I want normalcy.” 

“I’ll do it.” Alfred stated with such conviction in his voice. He even managed a soft chuckle as he rubbed his thumb over the back of Arthur’s knuckles. “I was going to suggest it, actually. I know I’ll never understand your fears and worries, but I want to make sure I don’t aggravate them. I’ve been reading some books that Mattie gave me on managing my aggression. They’ve been really helpful in helping me tame my instincts. I want to be a place of strength for you. I want…I want you.”

Hearing that soft confession made Arthur’s heart flutter. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of a public restaurant as he leaned forward to press a delicate kiss to Alfred’s lips. “You can have me, Alfred. Have all of me.” He pulled back to gently trace Alfred’s face with his shaking hand. “Come home, Alfred.”

Alfred did just that.


	10. Evening Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hard part was over. Arthur's past had been told, but is he ready for his future?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I disappeared! I started a new career and moved and became an adult. It's been a weird year.

The first week of June was usually filled with the sounds of Alfred’s voice bouncing around the aquatics center as he drilled his students in proper backstroke techniques. This year the first week of June was filled with the sounds of Alfred singing with the Disney sing-a-long CD as they traveled towards his parent’s Canadian lake house. Arthur had given up on sleeping around the Canadian border after being rudely woken up by the sound of a grown man trying to replicate the sounds from the Lion King track. Honestly, if Peter hadn’t enjoyed it so much, Arthur would have ditched that CD at the last rest area. 

“Are we there yet?” Jett asked from the backseat and groaning as Alfred shook his head. He’d been a rather good sport about the trip, because he was certainly miserable. In late May, he’d followed in his mother’s footsteps and had his first heat far too early. On the positive side, that meant his mother was able to get him on suppressants. Now Jett was dealing with the nausea and cramping of an unfulfilled heat. He was utterly miserable. 

“Should only be another half hour,” Arthur informed his son, reaching back from the front passenger’s seat to squeeze his son’s knee. He could understand a miserable after-heat. He’d experienced one too many and they only got worse after losing an alpha. “Listen to your music or play with your phone. We’ll be there soon.”

“He’s right, buddy.” Alfred interrupted, fingers tapping on the steering wheel as he exited the highway, winking at the young Omega. They’d grown closer since Jett’s heat after the young Omega sought him out as a source of comfort. That meant Jett mentally and biologically saw Alfred as a father figure, which tickled him to no ends. They were growing into one big, happy family. “We’re getting to the best part of the trip too. Look!” He pointed towards the scenery in front of them. Huge, white-capped mountains loomed overhead. Despite it being in the middle of summer, the peaks of the tallest mountains appeared to have snow on them! It was always Alfred’s favorite part of the trip. “Maybe we’ll come back in the winter and see some snow. You two haven’t lived until you’ve been snowed inside a cabin for a week.”

Arthur chuckled as he reached over to pat Alfred’s cheek, shaking his head nearly instantly. “We would kill each other before the end of the week. How about we go to the beach during the winter? I’d rather fight a shark than fight a yeti or a polar bear.”

“Jokes on you, polar bears and yetis don’t live in this part of Canada.” Alfred quipped back, reaching up to take Arthur’s hand and press a gentle kiss to his palm. He loved this man. He loved his Omega with everything in his body and he never wanted to be away from him again. Maybe that’s why he was sporting a rather impressive silver band in his front pocket. He wanted to make them official. He wanted to marry Arthur. Now he just had to find the perfect moment to ask him. 

The remainder of the journey passed quickly for the group, even if they were all exhausted and ornery. By the time they made it to the cabin, everyone was ready to get out of the car. Arthur wasn’t kidding. After spending too much time together, they were all ready for a little ‘alone’ time. Alfred sent the kids off to explore with a warning to stay away from the lake as he and Arthur carried their luggage inside the cabin. His parents had been to the cabin the week before and made sure to keep the kitchen stocked for them. Alfred was glad because he didn’t want to get back in his car until they started on their way home. 

His fingers traced the black box in his pocket as he watched Arthur dart around the kitchen. His Omega looked so at home there that Alfred felt like he was watching a scene straight from his memories. This was Arthur’s place, right by his side. Love overwhelmed his heart and he wanted to wrap Arthur in his arms and never let him go. He had all of these wonderful plans for his life with this wonderful, perfect Omega. He just wanted to see them come to life. 

“What are you looking at?” Arthur asked as he turned to glance at his boyfriend. His love had the silliest, dopiest look on his face. It was a bit adorable, but Alfred always did silly things when he felt nostalgic. “Huh?” He asked again as he walked over to wrap his arms around the Alpha’s waist, standing on the tips of his toes to peck his nose. “You better answer me, or you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

“That’s a terrible punishment.” Alfred said as he snapped back to reality. “Besides, I was just thinking about how much I love you.” He wrapped his arms around Arthur’s hips, pulling him into a slow dance across the kitchen floor. “You know I love you, right?” 

“I know,” Arthur replied with a raised brow, laughing as he found himself being pulled into an exaggerated dip. “Alfred!” He tangled his fingers into Alfred’s shirt, clinging tightly as he was set back on his feet. “You’re so silly, darling.” 

Alfred just felt ridiculously happy in that moment. He knew loving Arthur would have its challenges. He was ready to meet them all, though. “Let’s have a movie night.” He told the Omega, leaning in to peck Arthur’s cheek. He spun him into another quick swing, laughing as he tugged Arthur back to his chest. “You pop the popcorn and I’ll get the boys to pick a movie.” He nudged Arthur towards the cabinets to look for popcorn as he slipped out the backdoor. 

He wanted to marry Arthur, but he knew there was the added element of the children. He wanted Jett and Peter to feel apart of the decision. “Boys?” He called out, laughing as he found them playing in the old tree house his father built for him. Despite being far too old and large to climb into the tree house, he made the journey with a soft huff. 

Jett had found Matthew’s old telescope and bounced over to Alfred with the thing outstretched in his hands. “Can we use this tonight, Alfred? I read in science that you’re able to see all the stars because the countryside doesn’t have a lot of light pollution.” 

“That’s true, squirt. We’ll see about looking tonight, but right now I have something important to tell you.” Alfred said as he plopped down on an old chair and waved both boys over. He reached into his pocket to pull out the ring box. “You both are very important to your Mom and I love your Mom more than anything. I want to marry your Mom, but only with your permission.” 

Jett and Peter glanced at each other. Peter was far too young to really understand what was going on, but the older boy shifted as he glanced between the ring and Alfred’s face. “Do you promise to never hurt Mum?” 

“Or,” Peter interjected, “never hurt us.”

A few tears actually came to Alfred’s eyes as he nodded his head. “I promise to take care of your Mom and you boys. I promise to keep you safe.” 

Jett and Peter walked over to the side of the tree house to ‘discuss’ Alfred’s proposal. When the deliberation was complete, they both returned to stand in front of Alfred with matching faces. They tried to look as stern as possible, but it was far too adorable for the Alpha to take them seriously. Peter held out his hand, forcing Jett to do the same. “Pinkie promise?”

Alfred’s lips twitched into a smile as he linked their pinkies together. “Pinkie promise.” 

(xxxxxxxxxx)

The boys were restless as they watched the movie. Arthur constantly reminded them to sit down or stop squirming, but they would only dissolve into excited giggles. The Omega huffed at his boys, but a quick wink from Alfred calmed him down. The Alpha had that effect on him. Even when his boys were wearing his nerves thin, Alfred kept him calm. He was playing the role of the Alpha in their family and he did it so well. This was the support Arthur had been missing his entire life. He was so lucky to finally have it. 

With a soft smile on his face, Arthur made himself comfortable on Alfred’s shoulder to watch the remainder of the movie. Jett and Peter were cuddled between them, but that didn’t seem to matter to Alfred. They were all wrapped up underneath a blanket and looked like a happy family. He found himself dozing in parts, but jerked awake when Alfred pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Wake up, baby.”

“I’m up,” Arthur promised, rubbing his eyes as he saw the movie was over. The boys were asleep between them, cuddled together like a pile of puppies. He chuckled as he ran his fingers through Jett’s brown hair. “I’ve just been exhausted lately. Jett’s heat took it out of me.” 

“I didn’t mind. You’re cute when you’re sleeping.” Alfred teased as he leaned in for another kiss. He lingered slightly, maneuvering his arm until he could hold Arthur’s hand. “You’re cute all the time, to be honest. I find myself watching you and falling more in love with you everyday. I want to be there for you. I want to hold you. I want….” 

Alfred trailed off as he reached into his pocket and Arthur’s entire world seemed to slow down. His eyes widened as the Alpha pulled out a black ring box and carefully opened the box. Inside was the most beautiful ring. There wasn’t any kind of gaudy diamond, but a simple silver band with a set of emeralds running the length. He blinked tears out of his eyes as life seemed to come to a halt. 

“I want to be your Alpha. I want to be your husband.” 

Without thinking, Arthur pressed their lips together in a desperate kiss. “Yes,” he whispered against those soft lips. “Yes.” He’d never wanted anything more in his entire life because Alfred wasn’t his ex-husband. He wasn’t the monster that waited in the darkness. He wasn’t going to force Arthur into anything. He was good and kind. He was everything Arthur ever dreamed of as a child. 

Arthur’s broken heart had finally been stitched whole.


	11. Twin Stars (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-three years later...

(23 years later…)

“Amelia Elizabeth Jones” The middle-aged man announced as a young green-eyed teenager walked across the stage in her cap and gown. She took her diploma with a wide smile, flashing the ‘peace sign’ at the large family sitting by the edge of the stage. You couldn’t miss them, because they were screaming their lungs out for the young Alpha. 

“Alice Abigail Jones” This time a blue-eyed teenager strolled across the stage, taking her diploma with a sheepish grin as she waved at her family. The Beta found her sister’s side, wrapping her arm around her as a greying Alfred knelt down to take their picture. Of course, he couldn’t stay there too long. There were other students that needed to graduate and plenty of families that needed to give their congratulations. 

As much as Arthur wanted to run over there and pull his babies into a hug, he stayed in his seat with a bright smile on his face. He’d rather hold his grandson, Eli, anyway. The girls would find their way over, they always found their way to him eventually. It had been like that even when they were little and Arthur was terrified of losing them. His pregnancy hadn’t been easy on his body and twins were rarely easy to raise. Alice and Amelia had been so different from each other that it was a miracle that became such good friends. He was just so proud of them. Both of them graduated top in their classes and both of them were going into a good college in the fall. 

His nest would finally be empty and that was a little sad. He was just lucky he had his mate there with him. With Alfred, life would never be boring. 

It was crazy to think how much time had passed since he first came to this little town. He was no longer a stranger, but a well-loved member of the community. It helped when you, your husband, and his best friend, Ivan, ran one of the most successful burger restaurants in the state. It also helped when your eldest son became a lawyer and was currently running for political office. Despite Jett currently being pregnant with his first child, the Omega’s supporters never doubted his ability to lead. He’d have the baby before the election, but everyone was confident that Jett would be able to do the job to the best of his ability. He was lucky. His Alpha was supportive and even had plans to become a stay-at-home Alpha while Jett held office. 

“Bah,” Eli cooed as he played with Arthur’s shirt. The Omega laughed as he kissed the top of the baby’s head. “I know love,” he cooed as he played with the soft blond hair at the base of Eli’s head, “Daddy is late.” Peter tended to be late all the time now. His new job as a paramedic took a lot out of him. His sweet little boy grew up to be a rather rambunctious Alpha. He’d surprised them all by falling in love with another Alpha in college. They’d adopted this cute little boy just last year. He had Arthur’s whole heart, even if his father could never show up on time. 

“Babe,” Alfred called out, jogging over to sit beside the Omega, “look at these pictures. Aren’t they awesome?”

As Arthur leaned in to glance at them, he placed a kiss on Alfred’s cheek. “They’re amazing, darling. You’re amazing.”

“Sorry I’m late! Did I miss the pictures?” 

“Mom! Come take a picture with us!”

“C’mon Mum!”

“Yeah, Mum, it’s tradition!” 

“What do you say, Artie? One more for the mantel?” 

Arthur’s heart overflowed with warmth as he glanced at his family. “I’m coming. Hang on.” Without Alfred, he doubted he would ever have such a good, complete life. He was glad he took his kids to swimming lessons that summer. He was glad his life turned out so good. His family was happy, healthy, and safe. That’s all Arthur wanted in life.

“I love you, Alfred F. Jones.”

“I love you, too, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Je suis fini.

**Author's Note:**

> What am I doing with my life? I just finished one of these and yet I can't keep away. I hope everyone enjoys this one because it will be a bit different. I would love to hear everyone's opinion!


End file.
